The Moon That Embraces The Sun
by S.O. VERBIA
Summary: When there is no Sun, Darkness prevails. Believed to have escaped on the night prior to the New Moon, the Vampire Princes regard Yui as a traitor. One day, 6 children arrive at the manor, each claiming to be a child born of their union with the Sacrificial Bride. Yet, not all is what it seems. Especially the truth behind their bride's abrupt disappearance, and the children's birth
1. Introduction

**A/N - Before I begin this story, I'd like to take a few minutes from my readers to present an introduction and disclaimer.**

 **Due to the fact that this website is a _Fanfiction_ \- I want to advise that I am not the owner, creator, or distributor of  Rejet's " _Diabolik Lovers_ " franchise, or their characters. This work is done simply for the fun of it; and in my case, for writing practice - to see how far my imagination can run wild.**

 **I like to give credit where credit is due.**

 **This story was actually inspired by Ksims " _The Consequences of Leaving_ ", who, if I'm not mistaken, had adopted the story from Meadow Melody** **I extend my gratitude to you three, whose stories have motivated me to publish this one (who, despite the minor influence, is completely different from their plots.)**

 **" _The Moon That Embraces The Sun_ " is not actually a story about the main heroine - Yui Komori - but of her first born daughter. At least, within the child's point of view, though the story will be told in 3rd person. **

**The ideas set into the story (especially the opening scene) are in no way meant to be disrespectful or rude toward people of religious beliefs. I am neither an Atheist nor a Devout of my faith. I like to practice Religious Tolerance with the people surrounding me as well as tolerance with different ideals. Therefore, I respectfully request that my readers do the same.**

 **In order to give this story the same darkness as Disney's classic, " _The Hunchback of Notre Dame"_ and  Dan Brown's " _The Da Vinci Code"_ and " _Angels & Demons"_,I found myself incorporating the " _dark,_ _corrupted view"_ of religion into the prologue of the story. **

**Throughout the story, as I have done with previous works, I will be adding footnotes at the very end for terms and vocabulary; and foreign language, I am to use - due to the fact that most meanings will be in either Latin, French, German, or xxx (whatever other language I find useful for the continuation of the story line.) and which will be essential to the climax of the story.**

 **Do give this story a chance, I promise you will not be disappointed by what it has to offer.**

 **Also, I'd like to quickly mention, that due to the fact that I am still working on my first story, " _Betrayal Knows My Name"_ from the anime Matantei Loki Ragnarok, the updating of chapters will take a while. (As an example, my first story is updated monthly - and in _rare_ cases bi-weekly - so this one would have monthly, or bi-monthly updates).**

 **Now that I have taken those few minutes - Enjoy.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **S.O. Verbia**


	2. The Night the Moon Was Conceived

_**Thank you readers for taking an interest in reading T-M-T-E-T-S. Remember to Read and Review :3**_

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

 _Prologue_

 _ **The Night the Moon was Conceived**_

" _ **Eva,**_ " A deep, baritone voice called out within the recesses of her waking consciousness. " _ **Mater Carissima**_ ** _, Eva._** "

Morganite eyes blinked once.

Twice.

Distant hums, like those of Gregorian hymns, reverberated within the ancient Gothic Cathedral. Glancing at her surroundings, the blonde attempted to restore her blurred vision within the opaque light of the building. However, she found it difficult when there was hardly anything to see - her eyes having been blinded by the dark environment for too long. After a few more attempts, she finally succeeded and realized that she _**was**_ indeed in a Monastery of sorts - as she had first presumed by the chants echoing through the hallowed halls - long abandoned by any who had once affiliated themselves with the sacred edifice.

Paying close attention to detail, she found herself entranced by the unearthly beauty of the hallow palace.

Stone columns, chiseled to perfection, held years of archaic architecture through their large frames as they raised hundreds of marbled pillars, heavenward. Stained glass windows - colored by vibrant hues of red, blue, white, green, purple, and black - narrated tales of Biblical times (many of whom she could still recite), as their grand images lay overshadowed by the clouded night. The marbled floor, in which she lay, reflected the flickering candlelight of the glims surrounding her - like jewels beneath the earth.

However, it was strange that within such vast space, she could only see _six_ glims - all of which surrounded her outstretched body:

 _Two_ on the right.

 _Two_ on the left.

 _One_ above her head.

 _One_ beneath her feet.

Perplexed by the unfamiliar surroundings, and even more so, by the sensation of _fear_ washing over her, the blonde tried to recollect the last memory she had before waking:

 _Standing outside the balcony of her Victorian-styled bedroom, she faced the large, iridescent crescent floating amidst a sea of stars. Her white, silky, nightgown billowed against the cold, night breeze, as she stood there - contemplating - on the way her life had take such a turn, when suddenly..._

From that point onward, there was a large, _vague_ , gap in her memory. It was as if she had forgotten everything that had occurred in the context of her falling asleep that night, and waking to _this_.

Out of nowhere, a jolting pain seized control of her body, causing her muscles to spasm uncontrollably, as she arched her back against the ground - allowing her to sense, for the first time since awakening, the frigid marble beneath her semi-covered skin.

Attempting to stand from her peculiar position, the morganite-eyed female was blatantly surprised when she heard the distinct sound of metal dragging against gelid stone. No sooner did the sound echo against the stone walls of the vast edifice, did she feel her ascent abruptly stopped by an unexpected yank against her wrists. Falling backward, unceremoniously, she felt the heavy metal ' _clank'_ against the marbled ground.

The blonde blanched.

This couldn't be!

Metal chains bound her legs and arms in solid cuffs - spreading her body in a star-like position. The metal continuously ' _clanked'_ against the frigid ground as she flailed her body in growing alarm.

Where was she? How had she gotten here? _Why_ was she here; and bound like an animal, no less?

More importantly...

 _'Where are they?'_

 _" **Eva**_ "

The chanting voices in the background stopped; silencing all at once in perfect synchrony as the last of the sopranos' voice died down in a distant echo. She watched in fear as the small flame of the surrounding candles blew toward her before returning to their upright, coruscating, position.

" _ **Eva**_ ," The same voice as that of her dream spoke closer than ever; its deep, rich, velvet tone rumbled against all corners of the medieval structure - like thunder over a cloudless sky. He, once again, repeated the name, before the echo finally died off against the antiquated stone. " _ **Vos habet excitatus, Mater in primo genere**."_

The blonde jumped away, as far as the chains allowed her to, as a man - as beautiful as Michelangelo's _"David"_ \- stared at her with intense, silver eyes. His hair, a shade of black rivaling the sable night, was slanted slightly over his shoulder in a clean and consistent braid.

An air of ancient nobility hung about him, demanding attention to all who saw.

" ** _Mulier Divinae, Progenitor de gente, vobis autem salutis nostrae!"_**

She felt a burning sensation at the center of her chest as his hand abruptly reached out to touch her.

"No..." She squirmed, attempting to move further away from his touch.

" _ **Eva,**_ " he chastised, as if speaking to a misbehaving child, " _ **Pretiosa quae Dei filia, Eva.**_ " His hand grasped a strand of flaxen blonde hair, and placed a gentle kiss upon it, much to the female's chagrin. " _ **Expectavimus progeniem caeli, et vos venit habet - tandem!**_ "

Six figures, cloaked in garnet-red robes - chanting the hymns of prayer - appeared from the darkness of the building, like shadows off the wall.

The musical sound of their voices echoed like a crescendo rumble across every corner of the large edifice. However, something about the prayers sounded _different_ from what she remembered them to originally be.

These hymns were _darker_ , in both tone and lyric. It felt like she was listening to a song of lament rather than praise; and if it **was** of praise, it was in no way meant for the God she believed in.

She audibly gulped when the words rung against her eardrum.

It wasn't a song of worship, but of _sacrificial tribute._

One of the figures, robed in pure white - a crown of golden thorns atop his mantle-cloaked head - approached the man. The patrician male excused himself from the bound girl, with a genteel bow, and retreated alongside the oddly dressed figure into the shadowed darkness of the cathedral.

Mentally and physically exhausted, the morganite-eyed blonde stared at the flickering candles to her side. At this moment, the soft glow of the candlelight provided little to no comfort at all, as the flickering light cast a somber shadow over her sprawled form. Somehow, she had the strangest suspicion that they weren't exactly placed there for her own benefit.

A single ray of moonlight reached her outstretched hand, briefly, before dimly lit darkness prevailed once more. Her mind reeled over the situation she found herself in.

Whatever had occurred between the allotted time, must have gone unnoticed by the brothers. In fact, it seemed to her like these people - though possibly of the same _kind_ as they - had no connection with the boys she lived with; and if they _did_...

It could not be, in any way, a _favorable_ relationship.

But if that were the case, why had they not bothered to come looking for her?

" _How can they?_ _I was only ever considered their food...yet, I-..."_ Moonlight fully invaded the inside of the grand monastery, alighting the darkness surrounding her.

Curious to see what the building was like - somewhat seeking comfort within the hallowed palace she grew up worshiping in as a child - she looked up at the crystalline orb shining through a rounded hole above a hexagonal-shaped dome; spreading a blue light amidst every darkened corner, painted wall, and multi-colored window.

The blonde released a horrified gasp upon sight.

What had been formed on walls and windows _were_ stories of Biblical times, _that much was true,_ however, they were in no way the Biblical tales she had thought them to be.

The stained glass portrayed in sequence, from left to right, blasphemous ideals and sacrilegious unions. Things that were heavily _abnegated_ , to remotely fathom - let alone _attempt_ , by the Church.

What was painted on the six pointed dome, above her, was even worse. She vaguely recalled the image, or at least the original piece ( _within the History Books and Art Appreciation Binders of the School Library)_ as that of Renaissance quality. The image had always been something she longed to see; and which, at one point, wished to visit after graduating high school.

However, this _altered_ version of Michelangelo's " _The Last Judgement"_ portrayed a profane view of God, Man, and Demons in one singular, rounded form. The latter, standing above mankind like sanguinary Gods with no mercy toward the mortals.

" _ **Eva,**_ " the man returned, followed by the white-robed figure pushing a wooden cart with 6 liquid-filled syringes, labeled with antique markings of a language unknown to her kind. " _ **Pro salute nostra, et ex genere nostro, incipit Nocte Fecundationis!"**_

He reached out behind him to grab the first syringe.

"W-What are you going to do to me?!" she questioned, her cries echoing in a raucous symphony alongside the repetitive chants.

" _ **Eva, vos eritis mater autem unus genus...vos dabo nostris heredem caeli, inferno, et terrae!"**_

She watched, terrified, as the male moved away from her side, and toward the end of her bound legs. He lifted a single hand and the chanting increased in volume. Crying out in pain, she felt herself get pulled apart by the metallic mechanism binding her ankles, before it abruptly stopped. Horrified, she craned her neck toward her feet, only to discover her legs propped up, her feet firmly planted on the ground, restraining her from any and all movement.

Morganite eyes reflected the moon above her - dyeing itself in a crimson hue as the reddened light covered her porcelain skin in a ruby veil. She focused her gaze upward, tears dripping from the corners of her eyes.

Painted in bold letters beside an image of a demon with outstretched hands, sitting on top of a throne made by human flesh, were the words: _**Sumus et Deus.**_

"No...No..." she repeated over and over again, but her voice was merely a hoarse whisper against the elevated singing of the cloaked figures.

" _ **Nos Incipere**_ "

Screams bounced off the walls as she felt the searing liquid injected into her body - desecrating the last strand hope she had that someone would come and save her from this infernal torture.

' _Shu-san...Reiji-san...Ayato-kun...Laito-kun...Kanato-kun...Subaru-kun...Save me!'_

Curving her back against the ground, from the sheer pain ransacking every part of her body, morganite eyes stared up at the ceiling, where broken faith was carved onto granite stone; revealing its nihilistic judgement, beneath the moon's crimson light.

The cruel words escaped her lips as the last ounce of hope within her disappeared.

"Ibi est Nihil Deus..."

 _There is no God._

* * *

 **Terms and Definition**

 **Eva** _-_ meaning, " _Eve_ ", in Latin.

 **Mater Carissima** _\- "Dearest Mother_ ", in Latin

 **Vos habet excitatus, Mater in primo genere** \- " _You have awakened, Mother of the First kind_ ", in Latin

 **Mulier Divinae, Progenitor de gente, vobis autem salutis nostrae - "** _Divine woman, Progenitor of the nation, You are our salvation_ ", in Latin.

 **Pretiosa quae Dei filia** \- " _Precious daughter of God_ ", in Latin.

 **Expectavimus progeniem caeli** \- " _We waited for the child of Heaven_ ," in Latin

 **Et vos venit habet -** " _You have come_ ", in Latin.

 **Tandem -** " _At last_ ", in Latin.

 **Pro salute nostra, et ex genere nostro, incipit Nocte Fecundationis -** " _For our salvation, and of our race, the Night of Fertilization will commence_ ", in Latin.

 **Vos eritim mater autem unus genus -** " _You will be the mother of one race_ ", in Latin.

 **Vos dabo nostris heredem caeli, inferno, et terrae -** " _You will give us an heir of heaven, hell, and earth_ ", in Latin.

 **Sumus et Deus -** " _We are God_ ", in Latin.

 **Nos incipere -** " _We begin_ ", in Latin.


	3. Day of Annunciation

_**For some reason the 3rd person I wanted to include in my extended gratitude did not show up in the Introduction, so I'll add them here: Moonlight45nightingale "**_ **Moonlight Children" _had also inspired me to proceed with T-M-T-E-T-S._**

 ** _Also, thanks to all my readers for giving this story a chance :D Enjoy :3_**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter I

 _ **The Day of Annunciation**_

 _16 years later..._

Riding the opulent limousine toward their presumed destination, six faces stared at one another in awkard silence as the view of the town disappeared behind forested mountaintops. After the time seemed to prolongue, the silence began to sway with the rumbling of the running tires against the paved road.

One of them, a young boy - not yet a teenager, but no longer a child - with messy, flaming red hair and deep emerald eyes, rolled down the passenger window, sticking his head out to feel the mid-day breeze against his slightly tanned skin.

"Akumu, get in!" another boy, physically similar to him - despite the 3 year age gap - grabbed the younger one from the shirt and pulled him back inside the smoothly running vehicle. His hair, though a darker shade than the brighter hue of his younger brother's, was neatly combed - strands of reddish-brown reflecting an almost copper-like shine under the rays of the mid-day sun permeating through the tinted window. Turning around, seemingly ignoring the grunts of the youngest, Actinolite eyes contemplated the lush scenery as the green hue enhanced his own.

"Geez, Kaname- _nii_ , you're no fun!" The emerald eyed youth ' _hmph'_ -ed and crossed his arms against his chest, pouting.

"If you keep acting like a brat all the time, you're going to end up causing big trouble, Akumu~."

Facing right his side, Akumu took notice of the beautiful teenage girl sitting with one leg crossed over the other, a gossip magazine resting comfortably against her propped knee as a well-manicured nail flipped the page over. Her luscious golden hair was fixed in a classy braid, reaching past her elbows as it lay against her shoulder; bright aquamarine eyes deeply concentrated on the images of the glossed paper.

"Well, at least that's better than pampering myself like a narcisstic princess, Hime _-nee_ ~" The redhead returned the jibe with as much sarcasm as he could.

"Hmph!" She faced him, "Says the one that always considers himself the best at everything!"

"That's because I am!"

"And who do you think you are to suggest I'm not!"

" _I_ am greater than anybody! I don't have to spend hours in the mirror each day to make myself look awesome, because I already am!"

"Why you-!"

"Enough! Can't you see you're bothering _Nee-san_?!" Kaname chastised as he faced the girl at the far end of the limousine.

Morganite eyes glowed with mirth as she watched the argument in silence.

"Sorry..." Brother and sister quickly apologized to the eldest.

Releasing a small giggle behind a dainty hand, the teenage girl tenderly smiled at the scene. "Usually I wouldn't mind the banter, but right now the youngest are sleeping...its best we let them rest until we arrive, alright? Akumu-kun, it's not safe for you to be sticking your head out the window like that - you could fall and hurt yourself. Would you mind staying seated for a little while longer? It won't be long now, I promise. Kaname-kun, you shouldn't mind Akumu-kun's actions - it _has_ been a long ride for us all, its only natural that he'll get impatient. Hime-chan, it's not nice to pick on your brother."

"Yes, _Nee-san"_

 _"...Nee-chan"_

 _"...Nee-sama"_

A gentle smile graced her features, providing a peaceful comfort to the others as her melodic humming rang within the lavishly draped cabin. Long, dark tresses - as black as the sable night - pooled in small swirls against the wine-colored seats of the limousine. A soothing hand - with skin as white as the moonlight - brushed platinum blonde locks sprawled against her lap; the little girl with creamy skin, lay sound asleep. Resting in one arm, face comfortably pressed against the eldest's bountiful bosom, was a toddler, whose violet strands deeply contrasted his porcelain complexion.

After the car ride prolonged for another 10 minutes, which to a certain _redhead_ felt eternal, he opted in making light conversation about a previously unspoken question.

"Regina _Nee-chan,"_ Akumu asked, breaking the momentary silence, "Was it really necessary to leave the Old Fart's house? Not that I'm complainin', but isn't it kind of...sudden?"

"Akumu..." Kaname chastised through clenched teeth, berrating the youngest on the way he addressed their adoptive father. "Whether it was necessary or not, it is done. End of discussion."

"Well, if you think about it," Hime responded, placing the magazine on her side, "It's not like we had much of a choice on the subject, Kaname."

"You too, Hime- _nee_?"

"Akumu-kun, Kaname-kun, Hime-chan," Regina called the three's attention, "Perhaps it was a bit, _abrupt_ , but I can assure you that Father Komori had thought clearly about it before making such a decision. You all have seen the letters he receives every year from Tougo Sakami, right?"

The siblings nodded.

"Well, for some reason, the letter that arrived yesterday, which bore the golden insignia of the Sakami Family, must have been far more important than the others, for him to react the way he did."

"Guess so," Akumu sighed, resting his head back against the leather seat, "But what the hell was in that damned letter that made the Old Fart react like it was a matter of life or death? I mean, the only thing that we're doing is moving in with our Fathers."

"Akumu is right, _Nee-san_ ," Kaname interceded, "For once in his life-"

" _Oi_ , you got something to say to me, Kaname- _nii_."

"Nothing you already don't know, idiot." Kaname pinched his brother's nose, causing the redhead to yelp in pain. Turning abruptly serious after the little arguement, Kaname bent forward, elbows resting atop his knees, as fingers intertwined in a singular fist in front of him. " _Nee-san,_ what I'm most concerned about is meeting our Fathers at this point. As far as Father Komori had told us, none of them, aside from this mysterious _Tougo Sakamaki_ know of our affiliation to the Sakamaki name. What if they don't-?"

"Accept us?" She asked knowingly as morganite eyes glanced down at the two seraphims asleep in her arms.

Kaname silently nodded.

"Remember when I used to read to you Mother's Diary?"

All three nodded.

"How she described our Fathers, their likes and dislikes?"

They nodded again.

"That is all you'll need to know when meeting with them. Perhaps first impressions may mean the start of a good relationship, or the beginning of a bad one, but for the moment let's just enjoy the idea that we'll get to meet the men Mother loved dearly."

The heavy mood leavened instantly upon her words as the vehicle made a quick ascent toward a steep hill.

"Well, to be honest, I'm actually excited to meet my Daddy!" Hime smiled. "Because I know that he's going to pamper me properly, unlike the priest. Daddy's going to buy me all the fashion clothes I want, and all the make up, and the accesories, and the jewels, and-!"

"You barely know the man and already you're calling him 'Daddy'?" Kaname looked at his older sister disapprovingly.

"Well, he _is_ my Daddy, and since he's the eldest son, that means he has more power than all of my uncles, which means that I have more power over you two!"

"Says who?!" both boys yelled, silencing at once when the eldest sister placed her finger against her lips.

"Well, if that's the case, I kinda wanna see what _Oyaji_ is like! Mom said he's a really cool guy! I wanna see if he's cooler than me!" Akumu beamed, emerald eyes shining as he imagined all the kinds of competicions he would have with his Father - to prove which one of them both was the best.

"I'd rather go a few centuries without meeting my Dad." Kaname sighed, already exhausted before the day began. "What about you, _Nee-san_?"

"Hm?"

"Yeah, _Nee-sama,_ aren't you excited to see what _your_ Daddy is like?" Hime asked, aquamarine eyes twinkling in excitement.

Regina blushed. "Well...um...I suppose that...well...yes..."

Kaname smirked at his sister's bashfulness, "Mom _did_ say that _Nee-san_ 's Dad was more reliable than any of the others combined..."

"And, she did also say that he fit the title of a Prince with his ' _Impeccable Perfection_ _'..._ " Hime giggled.

"Yeah, but didn't she also say he was a tableware Otaku?"

"Akumu!" Kaname and Hime scolded.

"Sorry, but its true!"

Regina released a small giggle, that soon turned into contagious laughter as the cabin rumbled from their ceaseless giggles.

Akumu jumped from his seat toward his eldest sister and pushed the sliding window to the side. " _Oi,_ Old Man McGruffs," he endearingly called the expressionelss driver, "How much longer till we get there?"

"Just a block downhill, young master."

"That's right, I'm the young master! Who's the boss? Me! Akumu!" Akumu smiled, chest puffed proudly, as he closed the window and returned to his seat beside Kaname.

A couple of minutes later, Regina felt the two children stir against her - finally awakening from their nap. "Good morning, Luna-chan, Luka-kun."

The platinum-blonde haired girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, ruby orbs looking up at her sister with delight. "Good morning, _Nee-chama_." Looking around she could see the rest of her siblings, who also said their ' _morning_ 's; all which were sleepily responded. Releasing a slight yawn, Luna stared out the window in momentary awe as she noticed the tall, green scenery change into white granite walls, before large black gates - bearing in the center of the two the Sakamaki crest - opened up to reveal a large estate.

"Are we going to meet my Papa?" Luna asked, eager as well as partially nervous at the much dreamed about meeting.

"Yes, we're going to meet your Princely Papa." Regina smiled, carressing the little girl's cheek.

"And he's going to take me to Wonderland to meet the White Rabbit?" she asked shyly.

"I'm not sure if he'll have time to right now," Regina said, placing a delicate finger against her chin, "But, how about this, when you meet him - why don't you ask him?"

Luna nodded happily.

The toddler, who had comfortably accomadated himself in the eldest's lap, head laying back against her pillowy chest, tugged on her dress' sleeve.

"Yes, Luca-kun?"

The boy silently pointed at the entrance of the manor, alexandrite eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Yes, Luca-kun, you're going to meet your Papa as well."

The toddler nodded happily as he continued to stare at the estate, which was becoming larger and darker the further in they approached.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

"Are we sure this is the right house?"

"It is."

"Looks more like a haunted mansion up close than a castle on the sky, don't you think?"

"Idiot, the fact that mother considered them to be _Princes_ didn't necessarily mean they lived in a castle. They're Vampire's for goodness sake." Kaname walked around the limousine to open up the trunk of the vehicle, ignoring Akumu's grunts of disapproval at the somber exterior of the grand mansion.

"Well, yeah, but would it _kill_ them to, I don't know, make the place look like someone actually lives here? Anyone could mistake this place as being abandoned." Akumu argued, looking around at the sullen ambient of the house. "It looked much better from afar than up close."

"Oh, so now you're a genius in exterior decoration?" Hime teased.

"If I wanted to I could be the best decorator in the world, and you know it!" He pointed at himself, his ego inflating even more than what Hime had orginially intended, "I'm just sayin' because, well...a place this big ought to be... _nicer_ looking."

"Can't say I don't agree with you on that." Hime sighed, glancing at how the sky had become rather sullen; dark gray clouds forming above them, spreading an almost somber aura around the lavish property. When the sun's splendorous rays became engulfed in rumbling clouds, the moutaintops seemed to roar as their tall and mighty frames cast a heavy shadow over the land.

"From what I heard," Kaname advised, as he took out the luggage bags from the trunk, "not many people know this house exists. I guess they like their privacy."

"So then, how do we know that its the right house?"

"Dummy," Hime hit Akumu on the back of his head, "How many Sakamaki houses do you think there are?"

"I don't know? Like 100 or so?"

"So far its only one...at least in the human world," Regina interrupted, carrying Luca in one arm, while Luna held her hand tightly - somewhat apprehensive of the gloomy surroundings. "Kaname-kun, Akumu-kun, would you be so kind as to get the luggage inside? It looks like its going to rain."

"Alright."

"And make sure to get my things too~" Hime smiled, walking toward her older sister as she observed the stone steps leading to the entrance of the manor.

"Why can't _you_ get _your_ things? You're not doing anything!" Akumu argued, carrying two bags on each side, and rolling another one behind him.

"Well, _duh,_ I'm the second eldest, I'm a lady, my Daddy is the first-born son, and you're a guy. Unless of course, the 'Almighty Akumu' can't handle something like carrying wee little bags?" She smirked, knowing she had hit him right where it hurt.

"I'll show you what the great Akumu- _sama_ can do!" he ran back to the car to grab the rest of the luggage. Kaname, sighing, followed him to get the rest before he hurt himself or destroyed the only clothes they had.

"Bingo." Hime smiled and turned toward her sister.

"Hime-chan, that was mean." Regina giggled, making Hime, Luna, and Luca smile.

"Well you know that I'm great at manipulating people around me, _Nee-sama_."

"I hope you don't do that often with me." Morganite glanced over at Aquamarine.

Hime looked scandalized, "Of course not, _Nee-sama_ , I would never do something like manipulate you!" She hugged her older sister from the side, rubbing her cheek against the the eldest's shoulder. "You're my favorite big sister, _Nee-sama!"_

 _"_ I'm your _only_ big sister."

"Which is why you don't have to worry about your spot being taken by anyone on my account!"

Bursting into a fit of giggles as they reached the large wooden doors of the Sakamaki manor, Regina and Hime took an abrupt step back as they felt a wave of darkness surround them, almost like the very aura of the place demanded intruders leave and never return.

It was in no way a comfortable feeling.

" _Nee-chama..."_ Luna trembled, grasping Regina's hand with a quivering fist.

Rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand, Regina gently whispered that everything would be alright. Then, when the two children visible calmed down, she handed them over to the second eldest. "Hime, take Luca and Luna; and no matter what, stay behind me."

"Yes, _Nee-sama_." The blonde responded hesitantly as she took her younger siblings and followed behind the black-haired teenager.

If gloomy had been a definition for the exterior, _funereal_ seemed to be the appropriate word for the interior.

Red and black seemed to be a recurring color within the Elizabethan-styled estate. The second floor, alighted by the gold-bathed, crystallized chandelier hanging at the center of the large living room, appeared to focus its sole attention at the 3 couches, 2 loveseats, and 1 chaise surrounding a small wooden coffee table.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Regina called out, her voice echoing within the large, _empty_ , house.

" _Nee-sama,_ I don't think anyone-..." But Hime's words were so rudely interrupted, when a young man, who oddly resembled Akumu, called out to them from atop the staircase.

"Who the hell are you?"

Regina stared at him in silence for a brief moment, immediately realizing who he was - having had recognized him for his overconfident stride as he descended the stairs toward them. However, before a proper greeting could escape her lips, Regina suddenly felt a hand clasp her throat and push her to the nearest wall.

" _Nee-sama_!" Hime cried out in panic.

Regina tried to pry off the strong grip against her throat as she felt him keep her there, in place. "How the hell are you still alive?"

"I..beg your pardon?" The morganite eyed girl asked, confused.

"I asked how the hell can you still be alive, _Cordelia?"_ The redhead spat.

Regina didn't understand, but one thing was certain.

Creating a familial bond with pure-bred vampires was going to be no easy feat!

* * *

 **Terms and Definition**

 **Nee-san/-chan/-sama/-chama** \- Different forms of the word "Older Sister" in Japanese.

 **Oyaji** \- "Old Man" in Japanese, which Akumu replaced for the word "Father"

 **Otou-sama -** "Father" in Japanese.

 **-Nii or Nii-san** \- "Older Brother" in Japanese.


	4. Revelations

**_Thank you all for giving this story a chance to entertain you. Also, a special thanks to all those who have reviewed the story and provided excellent feedback :3 I've seen your concerns, and fret not my dear readers, it is all intentional._**

 ** _As for the eye color of the 6 children (including Yui) being described like gems: Morganite, Ruby, Alexandrite, Actinolite, Emerald, and Aquamarine, there is a valuable reason_** ** _which you will find out as a hint in this chapter and reference in future chapters._**

 ** _R &R :3_**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter II

 _ **Revelations**_

 _Dear God,_

 _Unknowingly, I have walked into the lion's den._

 _I fear the fate that awaits me within these antiquated walls;_

 _and at the hands of these six sadistic vampires._

 _\- Yui K._

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

A cold calloused hand was tightly wrapped around her windpipe, strangling out every intake of breath. There was no escape from the choleric redhead's grasp. He had her pinned between his merciless grip and the solid wall, practically burying her body into the material of the manor.

Green eyes, gleaming with a predatory gaze that reminded her of a cat ready to pounce, perused over her form with malefic intent. It was as if he was idealizing any and all form of torture for the image that his mind's eye persuaded, was _in_ her.

' _Mother,'_ the teenager thought as she felt the vampire's grip practically crush her vocal chords, ' _Please help him realize he's committing a grave mistake!'_

"Why?! Why are you still alive, _Cordelia?_!" He demanded, baring his fangs like a rattled animal.

"-cle..." was the strangled reply, as Regina grasped the wrist of the vampire pinning her to the wall.

"What?"

"...- _Ayato_.." Tears began to form on the side of her eyes. She could barely register the cries of her younger siblings, let alone her own voice, as the increasing pounding of her beating heart rang loudly against her eardrums.

Ayato froze.

Regina felt his grip loosen, little by little, until the air rushed back into her system. Falling onto the ground in a loud ' _thud'_ Regina was thrown into a fit of violent coughs as she carefully glanced at Ayato, who was moving away from her - aghast.

Green eyes bore into her own Morganite, as if attempting to decipher the phantom that reflected off her candid gaze.

" _Chichinashi?"_ he gasped.

Still caught up with the violent coughs, attempting to stabilize her breath, Regina was unable to hear the mentioned nickname.

"No...its not possible...You can't be-!" He observed her once more, before confusion flickered into anger - pure and unrestrained - that fueled the calamity of emotions within his heart.

" _Nee-sama!"_ Hime screamed, watching in horror, as the red-haired vampire grabbed a hold of Regina's long hair; and lifted her off the ground.

Emitting a sharp cry, Regina felt Ayato's cold hand grasp her jaw, tightly, before slender fingers traced the curve of her neck and shoulder.

"You thought _ore-sama_ wouldn't take notice, huh? And you had me well fooled, bitch!" He settled his hand behind her neck, craning it to the side, as his other hand grabbed a hold of her arm, preventing her from escaping his captive hold. "This time," he whispered against her ear, "I'll make sure to drink every single drop of your blood, until there is nothing left but your rotting carcass!"

Bearing his whitened teeth in a crooked grin, which oddly befitted his twisted personality, Ayato licked his sharpened fangs - effectively intimidating the girl in his arms - as he approached her unblemished skin.

" _Nee-!"_ Hime's aquamarine eyes began to glow brightly, as if in preparation for an attack, but Regina's quivering shake - unnoticed by the vampire that had her pinned to the wall - caused Hime's glow to falter, and revert back to the usual blue hue.

Regina had ordered her to stand down from any sudden action; and with a heavy heart, she acquiesced.

Afraid of the choleric vampire taking his anger out on her younger siblings after he was done with her, Regina tried to form a plan to escape his hold, but all of that went to the gutter the moment she felt his tongue dance across her skin. Afraid of what he had in mind as he continued to toy with her ( _she supposed her Mother was right when she had briefly mentioned in her diary that he liked to play with his food before eating it),_ Regina grasped his shirt with a tremulous fist, closing her eyes shut.

"Yes, that's it..." he whispered wickedly against her ears, "Fear _my_ fangs, as I dye your beautiful skin into crimson red!"

Lavishing her neck with small nibbles that made her shudder in fear, she could've sworn she heard him whisper - in an almost melancholic tone - ' _Just like her...'_

" _Okaa-sama..."_ Regina shivered as she felt Ayato's breath against her throat.

" _Nee-chama!"_ Luna whimpered, stretching her arms in an attempt to escape Hime's fierce grasp; who tried to cover the youngest's sight. Luka, with eyes as wide as saucers, was constantly pushing Hime's chest away from his face; begging - in silent alarm - that someone save his beloved sister from the evil vampire's clutches.

Desperate at this point, Hime did the only thing she could.

Scream.

"Kaname! Akumu! _"_

Stopping, just millimeters away from piercing the girl's flesh, Ayato suddenly realized they weren't the only ones in the living room.

"What's going on here, Ayato-kun~?" Another vampire, voice as smooth as warm honey, laid back against the rails of the second floor, overlooking the group beneath. Reddish-brown hair bounced against his neck in slight curls as he descended the staircase. Tipping his black fedora hat to the side, olive green eyes glanced about the room - as if attempting to decipher the current situation. "Let me guess - you're having a party; and you didn't invite me?" he pouted, though his eyes shone in mirth, "That's so mean of you~!"

"Does it look like I'm having a party to you?!" Ayato glared.

"Well," he pointed behind him at the blonde, who somewhat resembled Beatrix, hunched over two small kids in her arms - glaring at them in silent contempt, "If not a party, what kind of kinky entertainment is this~?"

Before Ayato could respond, however, the weight he carried possessively against him, had abruptly disappeared - or rather - exchanged, with a brunt force that held his arm in a tearing grip.

Turning to face the sudden aggressor, he was confused to find a mirror image of himself (though younger) glaring back at him, in much the same way as the blonde.

" _Nee-san!"_ Another boy, who had _Cordelia_ in his arms, laid her against the floor. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Kaname-kun. Akumu-kun." She smiled sweetly at the two worried boys, as she glanced in concern at the red-haired vampire.

Ayato's eyes were transfixed by the emerald eyed boy in front of him - who easily returned his fervent gaze, if not for Kaname's sudden outburst of, " _Nee-san!_ Your neck!"

Facing his eldest sister, Akumu felt a wave of anger wash over him - invading all of his senses - as he noticed the purple bruises marring the girl's swan-like neck.

"You!" Akumu turned in whiplash toward the red-haired vampire; his voice becoming darker as emerald orbs blazed beneath the light of the candelabrum. "How dare you hurt _**my**_ _Nee-chan!_ "

"Ayato! Get down!" The other vampire yelled as flames burst out of the candles on the walls. Both twins looked about them as the flames disappeared from all around them, plunging the room in darkness, before a single orb of fire began to form above the young boy.

"Akumu, stop! You're going to burn us all to ground!" Kaname yelled at his younger brother, as he shielded his eldest sister from the forming blaze. Hime took cover behind the sofa, along with the youngest children.

Realizing the fear he was instilling in his siblings, and the gravity of his anger, Akumu's glowing orbs began to simmer down, but not without causing the boy to mentally break from the previous action. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Aku-!"

"Akumu-kun!" Regina moved away from Kaname's arms as she ran straight toward her younger brother, and embraced him. "It's alright, Akumu-kun, it's alright. I'm right here. I'm right here. Sh~. Everything is going to be alright. There, there."

Brushing a gentle hand against his red locks, Regina felt the boy sob against her, as he wrapped trembling arms around her waist and buried his face into her chest.

"I'm so sorry, _Nee-chan..._ I didn't mean to! I-!"

"It's alright, Akumu-kun. You'll be able to control it someday. I know you will."

" _Nee-chan_!" he cried against her as she planted a comforting kiss atop his head.

"I demand an explanation for what has just occurred within the premises of my own house."

All faces turned toward the vampire descending the staircase.

Regina's eyes widened.

It was him!

It was her Father!

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

"Would you mind providing a brief explanation, Ayato?" The man asked, or rather demanded, as he fixed his glasses over the bridge of his nose. Dark locks glistened like a raven's feathers beneath the light of the central chandelier. Red eyes, as expressionless and refined as a painting, stared down at the six siblings sitting down in the surrounding couches, before them.

In all sense of the word, he resembled more a butler than a prince, but the children supposed that the air of elegance surrounding him, did attribute much to their Mother's belief that this _vampire_ was more dignified than the other brothers.

"Tch," was Ayato's immediate response, as he plopped into the nearest chair and crossed his legs over the coffee table, "Why should I?"

"Because it would seem you are one of the main causes for this...fiasco." The bespectacled vampire's gaze immediately befell Akumu, who simply stared at the ground.

"Beats me. It's not like I'm the only one at fault, Reiji." Ayato stated defiantly, his gaze practically boring a hole through Regina's forehead.

"Your honor~," the fedora wearing vampire jumped off his seat with an outstretched hand, "I can attest to that~!"

"Sit down, Laito." Reiji chastised.

Laito immediately obeyed, but his interest was well piqued by the young group as he continuously observed them.

Reiji turned toward Regina, "Young lady, who are you?"

Standing up, she figured this was a good a time as ever to present herself and the others.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Or not.

A choleric vampire, with hair as white as freshly fallen snow, and eyes a bloody crimson, kicked the doors open with a loud ' _wham';_ making his entrance noticeable to everyone present. "I'm losing precious sleep over all this racket!"

"Calm yourself, Subaru." Reiji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Whining isn't going to solve much of the problem at hand."

"Who the hell is whining?!"

Regina watched the interaction apprehensively.

"Regardless," Reiji turned back to Regina, "Would you please state your purpose as to entering our residence without permission?"

"Oh," Regina gasped, "We did not enter without permission! We were told to come here."

"By whom, if I may ask."

"By-"

"So you're the kids that _he_ was talking about?"

Blonde hair stood out from the beige colored chaise, secluded from the rest of the group, as long legs propped up in order to balance the outstretched body. Resting his head against the wall, he lazily opened his eyes - cerulean orbs staring at them with a bored, almost indifferent, expression.

"You knew of their arrival, Shu?" Reiji chastised.

"Somewhat," the blonde yawned, closing his eyes again.

"Well I don't like them," another voice interrupted as it abruptly appeared beside the fireplace.

Lavender colored hair, with equally mauve eyes, and a rather pale complexion - in comparison to the others - pouted behind an eye-patched teddy bear, that had immediately grabbed Luka's attention.

"Kanato, I thought you went out to eat~?" Laito asked his younger triplet.

"None of those girls' blood are to Teddy's liking. It's disgusting!" Kanato made a sour look before sitting beside Ayato.

"And it seems we have all assembled within the same room, for once," Reiji stated acerbically, "Now, young lady. Present yourself."

Regina took a deep breath as she stopped herself from twirling the ends of her hair in nervousness. "My name is Regina...Regina Sakamaki."

There was immediate silence from all the brothers, except from the blonde - who seemed to have expected that kind of response.

"And..."

She looked up at Reiji with a small twinkle in her eyes.

"I'm your daughter."

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Silence had filled the room within the next seconds - which felt _eternal_ to the children. Especially Regina, who didn't know what to make of her Father's silence, as his expression revealed nothing.

Not disgust.

And certainly not happiness.

A laugh broke her train of thought.

It was Laito.

"I always knew you had it in you, despite being such a stiff, Reiji~!"

The triplets joined in on the taunt, including Subaru - who was snickering in the corner.

"Young lady," Reiji stated seriously, "I do not appreciate your ridiculous attempts at humor."

"It is no joke, _Otou-sama,_ " Regina whispered sadly as she pulled out the letter that Father Komori had received from Tougo Sakamaki. "This letter was mailed to Father Komori a few months ago. In it, is our birth certificate, along with a proof of our relationship to you all. Mr. Sakamaki, was the one that had requested we come and live at the manor."

Reiji took the letter swiftly and scanned through its contents; verifying at once the credibility of her words.

"And, tell me, who is your birth mother?"

That was the part she had been hoping not to say out loud.

"Our mother is...Yui Komori...The last Sacrificial Bride to the Vampire Princes."

The children had never seen someone stand so quickly in their life, but there they were - all five of them (including Shu) - as upright as assembled soldiers.

"You're... _Bitch-chan's_ daughter?" was Laito's response, seriousness overtaking the once whimsical male.

" _Oi,_ Reiji!" Ayato grasped the second eldest by the collar of his shirt, frightening Regina and the children, as Subaru followed shortly behind him - equally angered, "You dared touch _ore-sama's_ food without permission?!"

"Calm down, Ayato, for it seems that I'm not the only one stuck with an illegitimate child." Reiji glared through his spectacles.

"Huh?" both red and white haired vampires stared at Reiji in confusion.

"See for yourselves." He handed the letter over to them. The remaining brothers immediately made their way over to them.

The six siblings watched as the group of five looked down at the letter, then at them, then back at the letter.

"This is bullshit!" Subaru yelled, slamming his fist against the wall, frightening poor little Luna - who tightened her grip against Regina's dress. "There's no way I have a child! And with _her_ of all people!"

"I think this is mistaken~," was Laito's response as he glanced at Kaname, "After all, _I_ certainly didn't have sex with _Bitch-chan_ , though I very much would've liked to."

Kaname glared at him in disgust.

"..." Shu stared at the letter in disbelief, Reiji took notice of that - despite the blonde's indifferent expression.

"I thought you already knew of this," he retrieved the letter.

"When _he_ mentioned it, I thought he meant the children of his lover or of a new wife."

"I see." Reiji stated, "Though I do not hold any such belief that this letter is accurate, there is no way in discrediting its contents since it does contain the insignia of our Father's ring."

Regina nodded and tugged on Kaname to follow her stead and present himself.

He appeared to be very unwilling.

"My name is Kaname Sakamaki, I'm the third born child and son of Yui Komori...and...Laito Sakamaki," he stated the last part through gritted teeth, disdain clearly written through actinolite orbs as he gazed over at the olive eyed vampire.

Laito's expression betrayed nothing.

He wasn't as surprised as he was interested.

Hime was next.

"My name is Hime Sakamaki, I'm the second born child and daughter to Yui Komori. My Daddy is Shu Sakamaki." Though somewhat upset with the first impression she had received by part of her uncles, her happiness lied in the fact that her father was as handsome as a Greek God! Her mother certainly had a good eye for men!

Shu didn't seem to agree as he stared at the blonde girl that resembled his mother, Beatrix, with something akin to distrust.

Akumu followed in his siblings steps.

"Akumu's the name, and being the best at everything's the game. I'm the fourth child. My mom is Yui Komori...and as for my dad..." he briefly glanced at Ayato, who returned his gaze with equal fervor, "Ayato Sakamaki."

Before the tension between the two redheads suffocated any of the present, Regina continued on behalf of the youngest - who clutched to her dress with both fear and concern. "The little girl beside me is Luna Sakamaki. She is the fifth child and daughter to Subaru Sakamaki."

Subaru glanced at the little girl from a distance, but she refused to meet his gaze as she hid her face into the fabric of her sister's dress. Regina gave Luna an encouraging pat before presenting the toddler in her arms, who stared at Teddy with awe.

"This here is Luka Sakamaki. He is the sixth child and son to Kanato Sakamaki."

Kanato stared at the child, once, before officially deciding that he was not going to accept him.

Reiji sighed, already exhausted by the day's events. "As for what had occurred earlier," he glanced at Regina, "We'll make time later on tonight for a solid explanation. As it is, there is still some things that must be discussed before we can fully understand the situation that is being presented before us..."

"I understand."

"On a side note," there was a moment's hesitance before he proceeded, "Where is your mother?"

Silence reigned again within the lavish room.

Regina glanced down at the ground before speaking, "She passed away shortly after giving birth to Luka-kun."

"I see."

Was it just her, or did it seem like an air of sadness had befallen the room?

"Your things will be taken to your designated rooms, for now - you shall accommodate yourselves as you see fit after we have discussed the living preparations."

" _Otou-sama,"_ Regina abruptly called out, before he left the room, immediately stopping the vampire. "May I please have the two youngest sleep with me. They're not used to sleeping alone."

Subaru and Kanato stared at the girl; and at the two children.

"They should be well accustomed to sleeping separately."

"I understand, its just that they're not used to a change of place, is all. Luna and Luka often get fussy during a storm, so-"

"If it will stop them from disrupting our sleep, you may do as you please."

"Thank you very much!" She smiled brightly.

The rest of her siblings were lead around the house toward their assigned bedrooms.

Before she left the room alongside the youngest, however, Kanato took notice that Luka's alexandrite gaze had never once left his own mauve. "Why is he staring at me like that?"

"Oh!" Regina gasped, barely realizing that Luka was staring at the bear in his arms, "I think that he liked the bear, Uncle Kanato."

"Well, why doesn't he just say so?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle," Regina said apologetically, "Luka-kun can't speak."

"What, is he mute or something?"

"Something like that...Ever since mother passed away, he has not uttered a single word, not even to cry." Regina said softly, her voice saddened as she explained her youngest brother's condition.

Kanato said nothing and disappeared from the room afterward.

Sighing, Regina grabbed Luna by the hand and walked toward the hallway where the bedrooms were at. Before passing the door frame, she took notice of Subaru, standing beside the chimney like a vigilant hawk - his crimson gaze deeply focused on the ruby eyed girl.

If Regina didn't know any better, she would've assumed that Subaru was _fidgeting_ with Luna's approach.

The little girl, however, did not so much as spare a glance in his direction - burying her face further into her sister's dress as she passed the white haired man.

Regina had briefly considered apologizing for Luna's actions, but realized that any prolonged stay near Subaru's side would only perturb the already frightened girl; and how could she not? Her first impression of him was anything _but_ the Princely Papa she was promised.

So, with a courteous nod, Regina dismissed herself from her Uncle's presence and continued toward the assigned bedroom.

On her way there, however, she stumbled upon her Father, who was walking out of the room given to her.

"I've prepared this room for you. It should be adequate enough for a girl of your age. I've ensured that the bed befit the three of you. Until they have accustomed themselves to this house, they shall stay with you."

"Thank you," Regina blushed, barely registering the fact that the man before her was the Father she had always dreamed of meeting.

"Well, then. I will be taking my leave."

Before he disappeared from sight, Regina called out to him once more.

" _Otou-sama,_ I-"

He was immediately in front of her, with an expression as cold as ice, yet as scorching hot as burning lava.

"I do not recall every accepting you as my daughter. Refrain yourself from calling me such title. Until all of this is sorted out, you are no more than a guest in my house. Understood?"

Regina looked at him with a sad smile. "That..I cannot do."

"What?" his voice was deep, as he took step back, clearly surprised by her response.

"Because...You are my _otou-sama._ "

Reiji turned his gaze away from her candid eyes; and, saying no more on the subject, walked away.

Regina felt tears begin to burn her eyes, but refrained herself from crying, lest she upset the children that were attempting to understand their surroundings.

"Shall we go to bed?" she asked.

Luka nodded.

Luna smiled.

' _Oh, Mother..'_ Regina thought as she readied the children for bed. ' _I hope that someday, I'll be able to reach into a little piece of my Father's heart.'_

* * *

 **Terms and i**


	5. Of Thoughts and Pancakes

_**I didn't think many would be interested in T-M-T-E-T-S, but thank you all for proving me wrong :D**_

 _ **R &R**_

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter III

 _ **Of Thoughts and Pancakes**_

Placing her dress into the laundry basket, while fixing the rosé nightgown she found, Regina contemplatively sat down in front of the vanity - gazing at her own reflection - lost in deep thought.

Despite the optimism she showed toward this change of residence, Regina was secretly afraid of what this meeting had entitled. It wasn't that she hated her Father or Uncles (far from it, actually), but she was extremely aware of the disappointment this first meeting had created in her younger siblings - much more than the obvious discontent their respective Fathers had at finding out of their relationship.

" _Okaa-sama,"_ a soft sigh escaped her lips as she glanced down at the worn out journal in her lap.

Showing years of usage, wrapped up in black-leather, a small diary was gently nestled between her hands. It was small, much smaller than the various journals sold today, and with parchment dyed a deep beige in comparison to the pure white of scripted paper.

It wasn't as antiquated as the many books Father Komori had in his private library - the cover was as rich and aromatic as that of medieval design - yet, its gentle sway of cursive writing filled the pages with thousands of emotions that Regina felt were her wisest guidance, at times.

Tracing over the ink with a delicate hand, Regina wondered what her next action should be.

Morganite gaze roamed about the room, attempting to find inspiration amidst the vibrant hues and rich designs. The room truly was beautiful, far more than she could've expected as a child.

Well used to the secluded dormitories of the Church, Regina had only ever slept in a single bed, much smaller than a twin-sized mattress, that accommodated herself alone. The rigid frames of barred iron often scraped against the wooden floorboards with the slightest movement, causing more than one sleepless night on her agenda; and the achromatic color tainting the four corners of the dorm overpowered the room far more than she would like to recall.

This place, however, held no such ashen restrictions.

Pale mauve surrounded all four corners of the large bedroom as the rich designs on the wallpaper added effect to the luxury of the place. White marble columns stood prominently at the far end corners of the room, where the balcony lay just outside the grand windows; draped by a velvet-wine curtain.

The bed, as well, held the same grandeur as the room itself.

Slightly bigger than a King sized mattress, the rosy comforter paled beside the well contrasted frame, dyed in a deep lavender hue. Four rosewood posts lifted up the top frames of the bed, while curtains of pale rouge and dark periwinkle cascaded around it like a waterfall. The carpet's royal purple added the final touch to the opulent design - giving all who saw, the impression that this dwelling was meant for a princess.

A blush yearned to taint her unblemished cheeks, but she quickly abstained from it.

' _No,'_ she thought dejectedly, ' _I cannot possibly believe that Otou-sama willingly chose this room for me...even if the simple thought had made me happy beyond belief.'_

Facing the mirror, placing the diary on the drawer beside the vanity, Regina reached out for the comb and absentmindedly brushed her hair.

' _Mother,'_ she thought, ' _The day may not have gone as well as anticipated...'_ She stopped combing, ' _I still have hope that Father and the others will one day accept us, but...'_

She recalled the way Kaname, Akumu, and Luna had reacted when meeting their Fathers.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

 _Disappointment_ wasn't even half of what was reflected in their eyes.

She had always known that Kaname hated Laito, for what reason - she wasn't too sure - but the aversion was as strong as her brother's sense of morality. Akumu, though rather excited to meet Ayato in the beginning, had immediately loathed him upon sight; and she could only consider herself a reason for that. If Ayato hadn't seen her, perhaps Akumu's powers would have still been kept a secret, and his discontent toward his Father wouldn't have been as immediate.

She sighed again.

Her main concern, at the moment, was Luna - who had been absolutely crushed by the man that appeared before her.

Violent to the core, with eyes as red as the torn shirt he wore ( _although something kept insisting within her that he wasn't at all what he appeared to be),_ Luna's dream-like illusion of the Princely Papa she was promised in her innocence was shattered.

Nothing would be able to replace the hope in her eyes that dimmed when she realized the cruel reality of the world.

" _God_ _,"_ she silently prayed, " _Please give me strength to overcome these obstacles. To give back the hope to my siblings that our Fathers are just as Mother described them to be; and that we may some day become the family I've always dreamed we would be. Okaa-sama, please continue to watch over us-"_

A slight chill brushed against her neck, and she couldn't contain the sudden _'eep'_ that escaped her lips.

A chuckle rumbled behind her.

"Kaname-kun!" she turned to face her younger brother, who smiled coyly at her.

"That was a cute reaction, _Nee-san."_

Copper locks dripped with the aftermath of his bath as his once " _spick and span_ " hairdo, reverted to a wavy mess that bore a semblance to his father's own style.

"You should dry your hair, Kaname-kun. Let me-" but as she reached out to grab the towel around his neck, a single hand grasped her wrist, gently coaxing her to follow him, before courteously guiding her to the edge of the bed, where she confusedly took a seat.

"That's not important right now," He insisted, "Let me see your neck." Tugging on the sides of her rosé colored nightgown, so as to not pull on the snugly-fit chest, he allowed the straps to descend her smooth shoulders before resting against her arms - leaving her skin bare for his eyes.

Regina could sense Kaname's anger as his hands tensed whenever they brushed against the visible marks of Ayato's choleric grip.

"I'm really alright, Kaname-kun," she whispered gently, attempting to provide her brother some semblance of reassurance that she wasn't in any pain, "Please, don't be mad."

"My anger is not toward you," he exhaled sharply as he reached out for the First-Aid Kit he brought, pulling out the necessary medication. "It'll sting for a short while, but bear with me."

Regina gave a brief thanks, before a slight whimper escaped her lips, followed by a quick apology from Kaname as she turned to face the two sleeping seraphs - tightly embracing each other - while he continued to mend the wounds.

After a moment of silence befell them, Kaname felt the need for a conversation was necessary. "How long do you suppose we are to stay here?"

"Honestly, I don't know." She said, picking up her hair so that Kaname could place a bandage on her neck. "Father Komori never specified a time frame."

Kaname ' _hm_ '-ed and put away all of the medicine before grabbing his sister by the hand and walking her back to the vanity, where he silently grabbed the comb and brushed her silky strands. "Your hair is truly the most beautiful in the world, _Nee-san."_

"Is something wrong, Kaname-kun?" Regina asked as her morganite reflection glanced up at his own actinolite.

"Why do you suppose something's wrong?"

"Whenever you have something on your mind, you tend to touch my hair."

"Couldn't I just be admiring the beauty of your silky locks?" he asked with a smirk.

"Or - the anger you've bottled up needs a way to vent?" she responded grabbing his hand tenderly between her own.

A sigh escaped him, "I can never keep anything from you, can I?"

"I _am_ your sister, after all." A gentle, knowing smile graced her features; and defeated, Kaname kneeled before her, laying his head against her lap.

" _Nee-san_ , you must know I accepted this move for you...for all of you, but...but is it really worth it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Not two minutes since we arrived and already you were wounded, and by our Uncle, no less! Akumu, easily riled by the overwhelming anger in him, nearly burnt the house down, again! Luna is terrified at wits end because of Uncle Subaru's rampages; and I - for once - would be far too ecstatic to never meet my Father in my lifetime!"

She brushed his hair, soothingly, as he vented out the frustrations he had kept bottled in.

"Was this really the right decision, _Nee-san_? After all, there _has_ to be a reason why Mother did not live with them when we-!" A delicate finger pressed against his lips.

"Hush, Kaname-kun," she gently grasped his face and turned him toward her, "You mustn't say such things. Mother loved our Fathers dearly. There may have been a reason why she left the Sakamaki home, but it is _not_ what you're thinking."

"I'm sorry, _Nee-san._ " Kaname looked down, ashamed, as he hugged her waist. "It's just that its so frustrating living under the same roof as _that man_!"

"You must give him some time to adjust, and yourself as well." She continued to brush his hair, "This is new to all of us. I understand your concerns, but if you allow a first impression to deny you the ability to fully see and understand the person before you, then you'll become as narrow-minded as all those foolish men in the tales Mother used to read to us. I know you're not like that."

Kaname frowned, but embraced her nonetheless.

"Let's give them a chance, okay? If Mother could see some good in them, then we - too - should give them the benefit of the doubt."

Kaname, with a soft nod, stood - a bright smile replacing his momentary seriousness, as it alighted his handsome features. "Now that I've vented, can I still brush your hair?"

Smiling sweetly, Regina acquiesced.

As the room was filled with small, but merry chat, a " _gentle shove"_ on Kaname - which ended with him on the carpeted floor - immediately broke the siblings' train of thought.

"What the-?"

"No fair, Kaname-kun~! Wanting to get _Nee-sama_ 's attention all to yourself!" Hime whined, sticking out her tongue, and hugging Regina from the back. "I wanted _Nee-sama_ to do my hair!"

Kaname was about to suggest what she do with her hair, but found himself interrupted by another, equally boisterous, sibling.

"If we're gonna have a slumber party, might as well make it interesting!" Akumu burst into the room, loudly. He was quickly shushed by his two eldest siblings. " _I brought my favorite board game_ ," he whispered. " _Let's play_."

"No," Hime denied, "I want my hair done so that it can be _perfect_ for tomorrow. That way, when my Daddy sees me, he can tell me that I look absolutely gorgeous!"

"It's just hair." Akumu retorted.

"Hair to a woman is her _life_ , you insensitive jerk!" Hime stated, furiously, causing Akumu to make a sour face and Kaname to face palm.

Regina chuckled and immediately suggested that, while she braid Hime's hair, they can all gather around and play. Akumu and Hime readily got in position.

Kaname, however, bitterly concurred that these were two of the silliest siblings God could've granted him; that much was certain, as he watched Hime and Akumu fight over who-got-what token.

Already aware of how tiresome the night would get, he was prepared to head back to his own room. Yet, as he glanced over at the eldest - who was patiently tucking the stirring children back to sleep - wearing a peaceful smile full of love and serenity as she watched the bickering two, Kaname realized she was allowing them to vent all of their piled up stress, without so much as a peep of complaint.

With an inward smile, he heartily agreed that his sister truly was God's greatest blessing to them - in every sense of the word.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

By the time the clock struck ten at night, Regina found herself surrounded by sleeping bodies all across the bed.

Kaname, Hime, and Akumu - having spent more time than anticipated in her room - were all sound asleep in the bed, alongside the two slumbering children.

Kaname, with his arms wrapped protectively around Luna, lay parallel to her and Luka; whose cheeks were pressed against her bosom. Akumu, who was snoring at the foot of her bed - one legged propped up against Kaname's thigh - remained blissfully unaware of the uncomfortable position he left his brother in. Meanwhile, Hime, slumbering like a _sleeping_ _beauty_ behind her, had an arm sprawled across Regina's hip.

She couldn't help but slightly chuckled at the _Twister_ -like experience within the large bed, and reminisce on the time when they slept together in the same room at Father Komori's residence.

It wasn't a very happy memory, she recalled, as at the tender age of 12 years, Regina had been entrusted with the care of her five young siblings - all ranging between 11 years and 5 months ******. At that time, there was hardly any moment alone for her to mourn the death of her mother. So taking on the role of mother figure for the 5 young children, Regina set out to provide them with all the love and affection her mother would have given them.

Now, at 15, Regina was fully capable of handling the children's affairs as both a role model and supportive figure.

But, it was still a proven fact that they needed their Fathers to fill the void left within them.

Removing herself from the entanglement of limbs atop the bed, she managed to get up without so much as stirring the others, however, Luka - who had been fully comfortable pressed against her chest, - felt the retreating warmth, and immediately awakened.

His alexandrite orbs stared at her in silence.

"Want to come with me to get dinner ready?" Regina asked sweetly, perfectly understanding everything he had to say within that single stare.

He gave a slight nod and lifted his arms.

Bending toward the adorable toddler, she readily carried him in her arms; and, while placing on her slippers, escaped the room in silence.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Sitting Luka on the tabletop, while she pulled out the ingredients from the cupboard, Regina softly hummed a lullaby as she moved around the kitchen to prepare dinner. She wondered why exactly the kitchen was in such pristine condition when more than one male lived in this grand mansion. Was it because they were vampires?

"What do _you_ think we should have for dinner, Luka-kun?" Regina turned to her brother sweetly. The 3 year old pressed his little finger, resting it slightly below his chin - as if pondering on what he'd like to eat - before facing her and moving his lips.

No sound escaped him; and, obviously frustrated, he turned away in shame.

"It's alright, Luka-kun," she kissed his forehead, lifting his chin with a demure hand, "I'm sure someday we'll all hear your beautiful voice. There's no need to push yourself. Take your time."

Luka's smile returned as he patted his hand back and forth.

"Patty cake?" she asked, momentarily confused, until she understood what it was he was signaling, "You want pancakes for dinner?"

An ecstatic nod was his sole response.

"Very well, midnight pancakes it is!"

Humming an upbeat tune, Regina prepared the sauces and ingredients to add to the pancakes, while Luka 'helped' her by mixing the batter. In all honesty, he was making a mess she would - more than likely - end up cleaning by herself, but she didn't mind it in the least. Her cute little brother was happy just by believing he was helping her, and that was more than she could want.

"What are you doing here?" A voice called out from behind the door frame.

"Uncle Kanato!" Regina responded, somewhat startled by the vampire's sudden appearance.

Luka's eyes twinkled at the sight of the Teddy bear in the male's arms.

"I'm asking what you're doing here."

Regina was about to respond, when she smelled the pancakes near burning. Quickly facing away, she flipped the cooked bread and separated it from the stove, turning down the heat so as to not char the pan.

"What's that?" Kanato asked, standing behind her - right next to Luka.

"Um," Regina didn't know what to make of her Uncle's abrupt questions, "They're pancakes, Uncle Kanato. Luka and I were making some for the rest of our siblings." Seeing how his eyes sparkled in the same manner as Luka's, she easily discerned Kanato's major sweet tooth. "Would you like some, Uncle Kanato?"

"Huh?" Kanato's pride was as great as his brothers' own. "I don't need to eat something as plain as pancakes." He harrumphed and turned back, ready to walk away.

"Shall we put some chocolate syrup and whipped cream on yours, Luka-kun?"

It was an innocent question, really. She hadn't thought much about the effect it would have on Kanato.

"He likes chocolate syrup and whipped cream?"

"Yes...Those are his favorite to go with pancakes and other kinds of cakes - apart from strawberries and vanilla cream." It had been brief, but Regina could see warmth appear in his eyes as mauve glanced down at alexandrite, whose own gaze was intently focused on the teddy bear.

"I suppose...one pancake wouldn't hurt. But you have to add chocolate chips and strawberry sauce, otherwise I will have to punish you," he said, hiding his pout behind Teddy's head.

"Of course, Uncle Kanato," Regina smiled as she returned her attention to the stove.

Meanwhile, Kanato took a seat beside the bar, Teddy slightly in front of him, while Luka stopped what he was doing to openly admire the Teddy bear equal in size. Kanato eyed the boy suspiciously, before he realized that there wasn't much to be suspicious about.

The boy was practically an open book.

' _Just like her...'_ he thought idly as he remembered the blonde who would prepare his favorite desserts.

"Would you like some strawberry glaze over the strawberries, Uncle?" Regina asked.

" _Would you like strawberry glaze over the strawberries, Kanato-kun?"_

Kanato could only stare, wide-eyed, as the shadow of that familiar blonde appeared before him in that single, heart-rending smile.

"Y-Yes," he stuttered, sheepishly.

"Here you go." Regina slid the plate carefully in front of him.

Kanato did not hesitate in taking a bite of his sweet bread, however, during his moment of enjoying the prepared sweet, Kanato had completely disregarded both the child and the Teddy bear.

It wasn't until he noticed Regina scream and pull Luka away from the counter, securing her grip around the child as she pressed him against her, did he observe the inanimate object _**moving** _ beside him-...

Wait a minute!

He jumped away from his seat as the dark circles beneath his eyes _paled_ at the sight before him.

Teddy was standing on his own two feet, using the kitchen knife to tear apart the seams of his mouth!

" _Ah,"_ Teddy sighed in relief, " _Finally! There's a lot of things I've been meaning to say these past couple of years, but first thing's first!"_

He faced Regina, who was far too perplexed to say anything as she tightened her grip on Luka.

" _Give me the kid!"_

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**

 **11 years and 5 months**** \- The years of all the Sakamaki-Komori children: Regina was 12 (15 yo), Hime was 11 (14 yo), Kaname was 9 (12 yo), Akumu was 7 (10 yo), Luna was 3 (6 yo), and Luka was 5 months (3 yo) when they moved into Father Komori's Residence.


	6. Anima dei gemma

**_Not much to say this time._**

 ** _Enjoy :3_**

 _ **R &R**_

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter IV

 _ **Anima dei gemma**_

Kaname awoke in a sudden jolt - bolting straight out of the bed and into the nearest bathroom, to wash away the lingering nightmare that invaded his conscious thoughts. He could idly hear the roaring thunder approach the manor; meticulously rumbling in beat with the ' _zap'_ of the lightning bolts - just outside the windowsill. Flashes of light invaded the darkened room for the minute of instances, following in successive patterns one right after the other, creating a spectral glare across the boy's defined features.

Actinolite green glared at the reflection before him.

Droplets of cool water slid across his face, gliding toward the tip of his chin - _forgotten_ \- as he continuously gazed at his own form through the looking-glass. The image before him flashed with a crashing lightning blade, distorting his appearance - to an indisputable degree - into that of the man he had _recently_ met.

An incoming fist slammed hard against the glass; an audible ' _crack'_ reaching his eardrums.

He _hated_ it.

Hated, with every fiber of his being, to be reminded that he was **_his_** son.

Frustration piled up within him, boiling his blood.

Out of the blue, a woman's image came to mind; her face, long since forgotten in olden, happy days.

" _Your Father is a wonderful man, Kaname."_

No he wasn't.

" _He tends to have his ups and downs, but deep within his heart, he truly is a gentle person."_

There wasn't a single thing that could make **_him_** a gentleman.

" _You remind me so much of him."_

What part of him could she have possibly confused with **_him_**?

" _Y_ _our existence is the living proof that **our** love was true."_

"No, _Mother,"_ he clenched his fists, shoulders slumping as he rested his forehead against the glass, "That's not true. A man like _him,_ could never feel an ounce of love toward someone like you."

He knew that then, and the proof of it lay _within_ him now.

A trembling hand reached out to cover his right eye.

 _'After all...'_

His actinolite eyes were set ablaze within the enveloping darkness - prominent green appearing to give an incandescence of its own.

 _'I've already seen what lies in his past.'_

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

" _Hand him over, Honeydoll, and no one gets hurt. Capisci?"_ Teddy's crooked smile, gave no indication, _whatsoever,_ that his intentions were anywhere _near_ good. Torn strings hung slightly ajar from the seam of its lips, giving the bear an impishly sadistic form.

Kanato, standing just behind the counter, remained frozen in his own stupefaction, observing the bear with wide eyes.

There was no way...For Teddy to be alive? How could that be?!

Clasping the child closer to her, Regina stared at the bear apprehensively - bewildered by its outrageous demand. She had no idea _why_ the bear wanted to take Luka from her her, but she'd rather not stick around to find out.

"I won't give you my brother," She discreetly took a step backward, and - mimicking her foolishness - the bear took a step forward.

" _You think you've got anywhere to run, Honeydoll?"_

"T-Teddy," Kanato approached the bear from behind, hesitant of his actions as voice trembled with disbelief, "I-Is it really...you?"

Rotating its head in place to a complete 180, Teddy's lifeless - _beady -_ eyes, glared at the male with something akin to annoyance, " _What'cha think_ , _stupid_?"

The tone of voice with which he responded, reminded Kanato of Ayato's own condescending responses.

All of his previous affliction went out the window, at that moment, immediately replaced with a pout of discontent.

"Who do you think you're calling stupid?" His pale cheeks were flushed red, lips pursing in a visible pout as tears welled on the corner of his mauve eyes.

" _Didn't you hear me the first time, bakaaa~*?"_ Teddy's response came with a disdainful streak, annoying the fuming Kanato to no end.

Regina, taking advantage of the conversation between possessed bear and vampire, opted in escaping the kitchen and quickly as possible.

Without so much as a flash of hesitation in her morganite gaze, she bolted straight toward the wooden door that lead into the hallway - closest to the living room. If she did manage to escape before the bear took notice of their absence, the first person she could depend on would be her Father, however, she had absolutely no idea where his _exact_ bedroom was located.

She mildly shook her head, pressing Luka's face closer to her neck so as to keep him away from the bear's influence.

This wasn't the time to think. First she had to get out of there, then she would-!

Her escape came to an abrupt end when, out of nowhere, the gleaming knife shot straight at her - snipping the back of her nightgown - restraining the torn cloth against the wall. Regina struggled with one arm to release the piece of cloth, while still holding onto the boy; mildly afraid of ripping the entire gown off her body.

"Ugh..." Regina grimaced, realizing that the bear had her cornered.

" _You think you can escape me, Honeydoll?"_ Teddy smirked, rotating its head back in place, approaching the frightened girl with every step of its diminutive stuffed legs, " _I **will** have the Kid, even if I have to chop your arms off to get him!" _

Regina released a blood-curdling scream as the bear lunged at her.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Not wanting to return to the bedroom and recall all that he had attempted to forget, Kaname thought it better to walk for the meantime and in the process, familiarize himself with his surroundings. He had already memorized, by sight alone, where each room was located, where each hall lead, who slept where, and what times the sun would alight the building in the right direction.

Though sunlight had no effect on them ( _and least not in the way the movies portrayed)_ , their true forms ( _and sordid intentions_ ) were better concealed in the dark. What often perplexed him, though, was the difference between a dhampyr, a pure-blood, and a half-blood. Though essentially the same, their form was much more _particular_ \- at least, that was something he read... _somewhere_.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Kaname idly glanced out the window.

Rain ceaselessly splattered against the glass, blurring out the image of the dread-painted world.

The thunderstorm roared in the distance, like a beast rattling within its own cage, cracking loudly against the sky.

The familiarity of the ambiance brought forth his dream's sequence, incidentally, without him intending to to recall.

 _A little white cottage, decorated in nothing but simple flowers, laid upon a hilltop - overlooking the vast forest beneath. Though in no way opulent or extraordinary, to him, it was like the idyllic Eden for their small family of six. It was in want of nothing. I lacked nothing. Except, perhaps, the Paternal presence.  
Sitting alongside his hyperactive younger brother and conceited sister, Kaname's attention was diverted toward the beautiful woman before him.  
Pale blonde hair fell across her back in elegant waves, her deep morganite eyes enhancing the kindness of her being - yet, with a frail constitution, inner light constantly flickered like a fading candle. In her arms, she held the youngest addition, a little sister, of white hair and ruby eyes; who, with much excitement, pressed her ear against the swell of the woman's belly, listening for the heartbeat of their soon-to-come, little brother.  
Though he could not see her face, he could tell her smile was just as warm as the Summer sun.  
Yes.  
His Mother was just as warm as the sun.  
But amidst his newfound Eden, he found something missing.  
Something crucial.  
Where was his eldest sister?_

The image blurred from one moment to the other. Before he realized it, he found himself away from the house, traversing through a fog-filled field of tombstones.

 _"Nee-san! Nee-san, wait for me!" he called out, running after her sylphlike form. Raven strands billowed with the passing breeze, glimmering beneath the rays of the descending sun. Her form, within a sea of mist and fog, became almost ethereal, like beholding the sublime existence of the Fairy Queen, leading him to_ _Tír na nÓg*_.  
 _Huffing, he followed after her, crossing the thick bushes that served as a makeshift barrier, dividing the forest and field from one another. Vision blurred by the density of the fog, Kaname accidentally tripped over a protruded stone that lay hidden beneath the coiled, withered vines at the entrance of the woods.  
_ _In the distance, he could hear his mother's cries, however, the passing wind muffled the coherence of her screams as he continued to blindly follow the girl, who - like a stringed puppet - continued in her path.  
"Nee-san!" His heart was beating loudly against his chest, "Nee-san! Where are you going?!"  
There was no direct answer from her, only silence, as her steps increased the distance between them.  
He wanted to run after her, to stop her, to bring her back, but he found himself incapable of moving.  
Behind him, the distinct sound of his mother's franctic steps reached his ears, before he felt his body held by two slender arms - enveloped tightly across his chest.  
"Mommy," Kaname glanced at the faceless woman.  
"Don't go into the forest," his mother whispered, tremulous voice dripping with fear, "Don't ever go into the forest..."  
"But, Nee-sama, she-!"  
He tried to struggle free from the blonde's grasp, but was unable to as she buried her face into his shoulder.  
"Listen to me..You mustn't go in there...If you do..."_

" _You'll never return..."_ he muttered to himself, lost in deep thought.

The dream had been so vivid, so _real_ , that for the briefest of moments, he thought he had been stuck in the complexity of his own nightmare.

Thankfully, that _wasn't_ the case.

However...

His thoughts went astray, leaving him vulnerable within the thunderous halls.

Out of nowhere, an arm coiled itself around the boy's shoulders; signature black fedora-hat, easily visible through the corner of his eyes.

" _Hey, Hey,"_ A childish, yet deep, voice called out beside him, sending chills throughout his spine, "What are we looking at~? Kaname- _kyun_ ~"

"Noth-" Kaname jerked backward when he felt the vampire blow hot air against his ear.

"Aw...Does Daddy make you shiver~?" Laito's wicked smirk at the word ' _Daddy'_ infuriated Kaname to no end.

"Get the hell off of me!" Kaname removed the man with one quick swing of his arm, his entire muscles tensed - like that of a hissing cat.

"What's wrong, Kaname- _kyun_ ~?" Mirth shone behind those Olive-green eyes, "Don't you want to have a good talk with Daddy dearest~?"

"No." Kaname's tension decreased visibly, his annoyance masked by faceted indifference, "I have nothing to say to you, nor do I believe you have much to tell me."

Attempting to set a visible distance between them, Kaname walked briskly toward the bedroom halls, until a hand reached out and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Wait a minute, Kaname-kun _,"_ The abruptness of his seriousness caused Kaname to glance at the man; confusion visible through an arched brow. Warily, he asked him what was wrong, expecting some sort of consequential response.

That was, until Laito seamlessly brought forth a porn magazine, baring to Kaname its exposed contents, boldly.

"Which do you think is hotter~?" An eager smile was plastered on Laito's face as he ranted on and on about body measurements, lingerie and all other impertinent information.

Kaname's face was beet red.

" _Y-You.."_ Copper bangs covered the boy's actinolite eyes.

"Hm~?"

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING SHOWING ME THAT?!" Kaname exploded.

"Eh~?" Laito tipped his hat to the side, "These girl's aren't to your liking~?"

Kaname - flushed and riled - turned away. "Hide that!There are children in this house!"

"So... _Bitch-chan_ blessed me with a prude for a son~?" Laito pouted, rolling up the magazine and hiding it within the inner pocket of his jacket. "How boring~"

Before Kaname could retort, a scream pierced the air, echoing from the room a floor below.

" _Nee-san!"_ Kaname eyes widened, forgetting the man before him as he immediately sprinted toward the direction of the scream.

Olive green watched him leave, before he too followed behind.

' _Hn~..._ _When he blushes...he looks just like Bitch-chan.'_

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Regina stood against the white door of the living room, heart pounding against her ears as she held the nightgown in place. Not far from her side stood Kanato, cradling Luka in his arms in much the similar fashion as when he held the stuffed bear.

"Do you think he's gone?" Kanato asked Regina.

Pressing her ear against the wooden door, she tried to listen to any sort of muffled sound, but remembered that they were dealing with a murderous stuffed bear. There was no way he would be able to make a sound with a cotton-filled body.

"Even if he _was_ there, we wouldn't be able to tell..." Regina responded. Her thoughts pondered back to the incident moments prior.

When she thought all was lost and the bear would emerge victorious in his malefic deed, Kanato had stepped in to save her. Grabbing a hold of the closest item at the time - a frying pan - Kanato did not miss a beat and immediately slammed the kitchen utensil against the large head of the bear, causing him to fly onto the opposite wall with a loud ' _wham'_.

After that, things became a blur as she saw her Uncle tear off the caught cloth and take Luka from her, running out of the room and toward the spacious living.

"A possessed bear _must_ have more than one way of getting in undetected." She glanced about the room for any sort of unnoticed opening. Aside from the doors on the second floor, there wasn't anywhere he could come in from.

Kanato, realizing what she meant, heaved a sigh of annoyance. "What's with him, anyway? Why'd he have to go on and talk to me like that?! I _made_ him! I made him his beautiful clothes! His cute eyepatch! How _dare_ he call me an idiot?!"

Luka glanced back at his Father, confused.

"You're not an idiot, Uncle Kanato," Regina smiled, attempting to take Luka away from him; but, in realizing that the mauve-eyed vampire wasn't about to release the boy anytime soon, left them alone.

Kanato, stopped in mid-tantrum, faced the girl with something akin to doubt. "You don't think so too?"

"Never once have I thought something like that, Uncle Kanato."

There was a distant look in his eyes while he muttered, "...and your mother?"

Arching a brow at his question, she watched him turn away - embarrassed - while taking a seat on the couch. She wasn't too sure where the question stemmed from, but was well aware what needed to be said to him.

"Not even her. In fact, she believed you to be extremely talented. A talented person can never be called an idiot."

A soft smile graced his features for a flicker of a moment, before - in realizing what he was doing - turned away with a frown, "You're lying."

"Oh, no, Uncle," she took a seat beside him, "I would never lie to you about something like that."

"How can I trust the words of _that traitor's_ daughter, huh?"

"Traitor?" Regina flinched at the use of such a strong word. However, before responding, a loud pounding echoed within the room.

Afraid, both turned to face the large doors as the pounding ceaselessly filled the room.

Standing up from their seats, Kanato moved backward with Luka in his arms. For some reason, he found himself being extremely over protective of the child in his arms. He didn't know where that emotion stemmed from, but for now - the child was with him and with _him_ he would stay.

Retreating slowly, Kanato did not realize his misstep, and accidentally tripped with the corner of the coffee table.

"Uncle, watch out!" Regina pulled him toward her, but in the process, ended up falling along with him.

Wrapping a protective arm around her waist, albeit unconsciously, Kanato managed to snuggle Luka in between them so that he wouldn't get hurt as both clattered onto the carpeted floor.

The door immediately burst open.

" _Nee-san! Nee-san,_ are you alright _?!"_ Kaname, followed by Laito, ran into the room, only to find Regina and Kanato in a rather awkward position.

Nightgown falling off her body, baring a little more of her skin to the gaze of the curious males ( _which to Kaname, only entitled his perverted Father_ ), Regina's tear stained face glanced to the side at her younger brother, as Luka lay his face well protected against her bountiful bosom. Kanato, kneeling in front of her, holding her waist against him.

"What the hell are you doing to my sister?!" Kaname questioned.

"Oh~" Laito flushed, a twisted smirk forming in his lips, "Making the moves on your niece already, Kanato-kun~?"

"That's not it, you idiot! We thought you two were Teddy!" Kanato explained, standing up in the process and grabbing Luka. Regina, rather dizzily, stood up and held the falling nightgown closer to her body.

"What?" Kaname questioned, vexation defining him at that moment.

"He didn't do anything Kaname-kun," Regina explained, "It was an accident."

"Looking kind of sexy there, _Little Bitch~_ " Laito winked maliciously.

Regina was confused by the comment until she noticed that the dress was well ripped from her side.

An embarrassed blush filled her cheeks.

Kaname silently walked toward Regina and removed his pajama robe. "Here, put this on." He placed it around her shoulders and tied the sash around her waist.

"Thank you, Kaname-kun," Regina smiled at her younger brother, who was pulling her hair out of the robe.

"Oh~ How boring~," Laito commented, "Let us enjoy the view, you prude~!"

A chip formed on the boy's shoulder as he faced the vampire, prepared to show him where he could stuff his perversion, when he realized they weren't the only ones there.

"Explain to me what all this ruckus is, at once!" Reiji appeared beside the door.

"You guys are too loud..." Shu responded, lying flat on the elongated piano seat.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing here?" Ayato questioned his twins, upset that he wasn't invited to this get together.

"..." Subaru glared at them, crossing his arms against his chest and resting his back against the nearest column.

"Explain." Reiji's voice was definitive, to the point, and with no room to dissuade the approaching subject. His dark red eyes glared at her form as she cowered beneath his scrutinizing gaze. She wasn't too sure on how to explain to him what had just happened moments prior; and in the end, there was no guarantee that he'd believe her.

"T-Teddy!" Kanato yelled.

"What about it?" Ayato asked.

A trembling finger pointed at its point of transfixion.

All eyes turned to face the possessed doll, wielding a kitchen knife in his hand.

"I always thought that doll was creepy," Ayato mentioned, offhandedly.

"Not only that," Latio provided, "Doesn't it seem... _weirder_ than usual _?"_

"Like?" Shu asked, not really paying attention to anything.

"Oh, I don't know," Subaru replied, both in disbelief and distress, "Maybe because its crawling on the _fucking_ _ceiling_?!"

Reiji stared at the bear with a look of scientific interest.

" _Otou-sama!"_ Regina cried out, "The bear is after Luka-kun!"

"What?" the brothers gazed at the girl as the bear dropped itself from the ceiling and fell, face first onto the ground.

Standing up, effortlessly, he lifted himself up and shrugged away the fall, " _You betrayed me, Kanato. Now, I'll have to get rid of you too!"_

 _"_ No!" Regina cried out, running toward them as the rest of the brothers tried to reach for Kanato and the boy.

Yet, as Kanato prepared to receive the blow of the incoming knife - too fast to be stopped by the surrounding vampires - Teddy abruptly fell onto the ground, restrained.

Regina gasped. Shock invading her system at that moment.

Luka's eyes were _glowing,_ in much the same way as that of Akumu's when he summoned the fire.

"Luka-kun," Regina called out through quivering hands, causing the boy to face her with a curious expression on his face.

An angelic smile formed on his lips as he gazed down at the bear with a spark of amusement.

Teddy struggled to lift himself up as he felt his body become as heavy as lead. " _Damn you, you brat! I know I should've taken you out before you could take me!"_

The vampires stared at the boy.

"Regina," Reiji's voice was deep and almost menacing, behind her, "I believe it is time you tell us, _what_ exactly is this _**ability** _ you all possess."

Ashamed, she turned to face her Father and Uncles.

' _But, if I tell you,'_ Her saddened eyes befell his serious glare, ' _Will we ever have a chance of being loved by you all?'_

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**

 **Baka -** Japanese term for ' _stupid/idiot'._

 **Tír na nÓg -** In Irish Mythology, _Tír na nÓg_ or (Land of the Young), is considered to be the _Otherworld -_ The Land of the Fairies, or the Fairyfolk. It is depicted as a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy.


	7. Gifted Curse: Part I

**_I apologize for the delay in the chapter._**

 ** _I try, as often as I can, to update both of my stories side by side. However, there were other duties to attend to that strayed me away from this incoming chapter._**

 ** _As for what will consist with these following months - I will not be able to post new chapters as often as I used to. I apologize for that._**

 ** _Do not worry, though._**

 ** _The fact that I will attempt - with all my might - to update either bi-monthly or bi-weekly is still intact._**

 ** _Nevertheless, I do request your patience for the incoming chapters as, I may find myself caught up with other things outside of the fanfiction community, and will thus be at a momentary hiatus as I was since February._**

 _ **I thank all those who have been reviewing T-M-T-E-T-S :D**_

 _ **Especially my "Guest" Reviewers(s) who have been providing me wonderful feedback and input. (Since I don't have a name for any of you, I'll go on a long run and assume that my most fervent reviewer is the same person, I thank you for providing me with those songs. You've given me an excellent idea and I may just use one of them in the near future :D)**_

 ** _I know some of you have been asking me about upcoming chapters, but it is unfortunate to advise that - in order to prolong the essential element of the story - I cannot reveal any information as of now._**

 ** _However, what I can explain are the following:_**

 ** _*Apart from that which was pre-written in the actual storyline of the DIABOLIK LOVERS story by Rejet, there will be NO mentions of romance between the siblings OR the brothers. In other words, rest assured, there will be NO incest - if there were, this story would have been marked Rated-M rather than Rated-T._**

 ** _*Also, despite the sadness that involves the children's past and surrounds the present plot, this story is not meant to be a tragedy. _**

**_I extend a gratitude (in the form of a hug) to all those who have critiqued the story - I love to know what you all think about it thus far and I am grateful with your provided input for future reference._**

 ** _Please continue to Read & Review. Reviews inspire me to continue the story :D_**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter V

 ** _Gifted Curse: Part I_**

' _This is great,'_ Teddy thought sardonically, eye patch loosening from behind as he constantly glanced at his encased surrounding, ' _Just fucking great.'_

Sprawled flat against the wooden frame of the coffee table; twine triply-wrapped across his stuffed body so as to prevent an untimely escape, the bear heaved a restrained sigh of both annoyance and mild rage.

He was well aware that they considered him an imminent threat to their safety ( _especially after showcasing such strength, which not even three of the Pure-blooded Princes could subjugate together, despite the obvious handicap in their favor);_ and, though the feeling was mutual toward the lot, he couldn't help but find the entire state of affairs a little _unjust._

Subdued hatred boiled within, urging to be released in a catastrophic explosion, as he recalled their underhanded methods of incarceration; and though no longer a considerable enemy ( _after Kanato's mini-me had inadvertently used his powers to restrain every limb in its body)_ Teddy found himself brutally pinned against the ground by the ' _White-haired Yankee'_ , the ' _Red-haired Ore-sama*',_ and the ' _Fedora-wearing Pervert.'_

Moving restlessly within the bound twine, the Teddy Bear released another sigh.

' _They're all just a bunch of no good bastards! They think they own the whole frickin' world! Damned blood-sucking vermin!'_ Glaring, he noticed that the atmosphere turned deathly cold as an argument arose over his current _possession._

Despite the trouble he had previously caused, and the danger he currently posed, most of the vampires were no longer sparing a glance in his direction, let alone bothering with him at all; and, although it allowed him _some_ semblance of privacy to curse them in peace and attempt an escape, he didn't enjoy the idea of being blatantly ignored.

And yet, throughout the commotion, he could still feel the pair of fervently observing _alexandrite_ , keeping tabs on his every move.

Turning a single beady eye toward the toddler squirming within his Father's secured grip, Teddy spat a brief, " _Damn you,"_ in his direction.

Luka, unable to comprehend ( _or remotely recognize)_ the bear's _obvious_ resentment toward him, continued to maintain his arms outstretched in its direction; eagerly watching it with a mixture of elation, fascination, and worry. The latter proving especially true after having witnessed him get hauled off into the first item brought out to the vampires.

 _A fucking pet cage._

Courtesy of that damned pervert.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

 _'...Akumu...'_

A semi-sopranic voice beckoned him, within the recesses of his hypnopompic state, to awaken from the lucidity of his dreams. Yet, the red-haired youth, with an abundance of energy as vibrant as the color of his eyes and hair, was also an equally heavy sleeper.

And as such, could not be easily roused from his dreams.

' _...Akumu...'_

It called once again, but he refused to hear it.

 _A reminiscent vision - like a dream within a dream - of a past long lost, surrounded his every sense; filling him with images of a life that once belonged to him._

 _Of a Mother he adored,_

 _Siblings he could protect,_

 _and a Father he yearned for._

 _Yet, amidst it all, nothing was as it should have been._

 _Or could have, for that matter._

 _Not when shadows of the darkest caliber swallowed up all that created said dream - plunging it into an abysmal nightmare of hellish proportions._

" _Akumu...up... Akumu..."_

The voice, now much clearer than before, beckoned him incessantly, yet Akumu - steadfast asleep - remained uncooperative with its constant agitation.

 _White mist surrounded him, within an achromatic dreamscape, as he could see nothing but the shadows of his figure standing - lost - amidst a sea of emptiness. There was no knowledge of time, nor feeling; and yet, his senses were increasingly heightened by the one thing he could never withstand._

 _ **Fear.** _

_For it was **fear** that turned men into monsters. _

" _Akumu...Wake...Up..."_

Again, he could hear the same familiar voice call out to him, only this time - it was beginning to sound slightly irritated.

 _"_ _Mngh,"_ he muttered sleepily as his physical body turned away from it, lifting the covers in the process and snuggling deeper into the pillow, "Five more minutes... _Kaa-chan..."_

" _Ugh!_ Of all the- get up! Now!"

A jostling sensation invaded his back before the bed shifted onto the side.

"Akumu!"

That was the last thing he heard before the the red-haired dhampyr found himself waking up to the rough texture of the carpeted floor. Mentally jolted, and physically startled, by the sudden - and rather underhanded - attack, the boy squirmed against the ground for a few seconds before groggily standing up from the uncomfortable throw.

"I'm up! I'm up-! _Huh?"_ Sleep-addled, the figure before him appeared blurry and distorted. Rubbing away the exhaustion from his eyes, Akumu soon realized just _who_ the person standing by the bedside - arms resting on her hips with a visible pout of displeasure - was.

" _Aw,_ man!" he responded vexed, "What gives, Hime- _nee?_ Did ya have to throw me off the bed like that?"

"You weren't waking up the normal way, lazy butt!" She stuck her tongue out as she lifted the fully awakened Luna from the bed. "Get up, Akumu," She bent over to grab a maroon colored cloth that lay on the floor beside him, "and put some pants on, for God's sake!"

Catching the incoming bottoms with a single hand, and giving his sister a slightly annoyed - if not, quizzical - glare, the red-head glanced over at the clock atop the mauve bed.

It was marking a quarter before midnight.

With an irritated sigh of his own, Akumu scratched the back of his head. " _Ugh,"_ he threw the pajama bottoms onto the desk chair, lifting the covers of the bed to jump back in, "What the hell for? It's barely gonna be midnight! Forget this, I'm going back to bed!"

"Akumu," Hime chastised, "You have to help me find _Nee-sama_ and the others!"

The boy stopped all movement and turned around to face her.

"What?"

"I woke up right now because Luna heard a noise," Akumu directed his gaze toward the youngest, who silently nodded as she clutched her sister's satin nightgown, obviously worried for the missing three. "By the time I realized it, they were all missing."

"So, what? They're probably in the bathroom for all we know-"

"I checked," she said while fixing Luna's nightgown - not realizing that her rambunctious brother was uncharacteristically silent, "They're not there."

Akumu reached out for the pajama pants, and after putting it on - tied the drawstring against his waist.

"Where do you think they could have gone?" Hime asked after the silence between them became unbearably awkward.

"What about downstairs? Have you checked there?" He suggested, though his tone of voice had become taut and low.

"I haven't left the room at all."

"Why the hell not?" There was subtle anger present, and his aggressive stance reinforced it, but Hime chose to ignore it for the time being.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going exploring at twelve in the morning by myself! Not with all those weirdos hanging around!"

"That's not what you thought about Shu _o_ _ji*_ a while ago."

"He's my Daddy, he's not weird," Hime retorted.

"Same difference, he's one of them. He's just the same as the rest of them." Akumu argued as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"No he's not!"

"Yeah he is!"

"No. He's not! At least not like your psychopathic Dad who choked _Nee-sam-!"_ Hime felt the temperature abruptly blaze around her, though no sign of visible smoke or flame appeared. Facing her brother, she was more than surprised to see his emerald gaze intently focused on the ground - fists clenched tightly, as if in an attempt to contain the fuming rage within.

"Akumu?"

He didn't hear her.

Emerald green began to spark as he remembered what his own Father had done to his beloved sister.

" _Nii-chan?"_ Luna approached worriedly, her ruby orbs gleaming brightly like the jewel they resembled, as she noticed the beating of his heart grow faster and faster - a red light surrounding it.

This abnormality concerned her, mainly because she knew her brother's heart - and this was not the color he owned.

Coming closer to the unsuspecting boy, Luna reached out a quivering hand toward his own tremulous fist - unaware that Hime was standing by, observing Akumu's state in apprehensive distress.

" _Nii-chan?"_

When Akumu took notice of Luna's intentions, and the unmistakable surge of power she expelled from searing ruby, he immediately removed his hand; accidentally pushing her in the process.

If his previous bout of rage had saddened her, his rejection to her attempt at calming him like her _Nee-chama_ often did, _wounded_ her.

"Luna," his voice was stern, startling the child, as he didn't even bother to look at her directly, "You know you're not supposed to use your powers to see into people's hearts. Stop it."

Small tears welled on the corner of her ruby eyes as their brightened hue diminished greatly; her lips trembling from an incoming sob.

"I-I'm sorry, _Nii-chan_...I...I only wanted to...to... _Nii-..._ *sniffle*...- _chan..._ " She apologized as she covered her eyes with her hands, her voice diminishing with every spoken word.

Hime immediately reached out to her youngest sister and embraced her, while glaring at her younger brother. "What the hell is wrong with you? She's just trying to help!"

"She knows she's not supposed to use her powers to see into other people's hearts. _Nee-chan_ forbade it!"

"That doesn't mean you have a right to act like a prick, Akumu! Luna-chan was just worried about you! It's not her fault you looked like you were about to punch someone!"

Akumu's gaze flashed dangerously.

"If we don't drop this conversation right now, I _will be."_

There was a severity in his tone that both surprised and worried Hime as she watched her brother head toward the door. But if there was one thing she was known among her siblings for, it was her indisputable stubbornness and inability to leave matters as they were.

"What the hell is with you? Are you mad because I woke you up? Stop acting like such a brat, Akumu!" She crossed her arms against her chest, Luna sniffling behind her.

"Come off it, Hime- _nee_ _,"_ He responded through clenched teeth, refusing to turn around and meet her eyes.

"No," she reached out toward his shoulder and pulled him to the side, "Not until you tell me why you're acting like this-!"

"Enough, Hime- _nee_!"

A ring of fire surrounded him as his emerald eyes shone brightly. Smoke began to flare from his nostrils.

But, just as easily, the infernal temperatures began to drop to gelid proportions.

He could feel that cold seep into his very soul.

"You want to fight so badly, huh?" Hime's aquamarine eyes were alight within a glacial hue.

" _Heh,"_ he scoffed, "I wanna see you try."

Luna, fearing that another fight would break out between her brother and sister, immediately interceded between them, crying.

" _Nii-chan! Nee-chama!_ Please, no more fighting!" She cried out, her small arms extended from side to side as she pleaded with her older siblings.

The effect was immediate.

Akumu visibly calmed down, both flames and power extinguishing beneath his older sister's freezing ability, as he observed Hime's own power seize.

Bending over to apologize to Luna for scaring her, Hime assured the child that they were merely testing the extent of their powers.

"Come on, Akumu-kun~," Hime said, though he could tell she was still mad despite the smile she sported, "You should apologize to Luna-chan too."

"Sorry, Luna." He mumbled to the side; and, though Hime was about to retort on his attitude, Luna immediately hugged her brother, giving him a beautiful forgiving smile that reminded him of Regina's own.

"It's okay, _Nii-chan..._ Are you better?" She asked innocently.

He smiled back, "Yeah. I guess I was just grumpy."

Yet, as they made their way out of the room, Akumu holding Luna's hand as they roamed about the hallway, Hime couldn't help but notice the boiling rage that frothed and bubbled beneath his deep emerald.

Something had perturbed Akumu.

But what?

 ** _~S.O.V~_**

 _'Unbelievable.'_

With a mental sigh, the copper-haired boy observed the meticulous hand of the grand clock reach the 12th mark, advising to any who could hear the toll of the clockwork's bell, that it was already midnight.

They had gone about this ridiculous affair since the bear was placed into the pet cage; at which point, no one - not even the level-headed Reiji - had the capacity to stop what had become of the situation, anymore.

' _And all it took,'_ Kaname thought in reproach, as he glanced back at the arguing group, ' _was fifteen minutes for hell to break loose in the living room.'_

It hadn't been the present situation that began the issue, he considered, but rather the devil-may-care vs. the choleric attitude of most ( _if not all_ ) of the brothers involved, that truly _became_ the problem.

Kaname was positive that if the two eldest brothers stepped in, they could put a stop to this fiasco - and no one would go against their words - however, with the raven-haired male seemingly uninterested in anything _but_ the pending confession, and the blonde wanting no more than to return to his room and sleep eternity away; he soon discovered that his patience was reaching its end, more so than when he became the voice of reason for his boisterous brother and narcissistic sister.

' _This is worse than watching those two fight. Seriously,'_ he thought irritably, ' _and here I thought that these men would be worth looking up to. Mother, what **did** you ever see in these guys?'_

Perusing over the crowded living, Kaname realized that the initial argument had completely gone off bounds and was beginning to take a turn for the worst. Minutely sparing a glance in his brother's direction ( _who at this point had been placed on the ground by his tantrum-throwing Father)_ Luka teetered between the coffee table and the sofa seat - attempting to support his small body and try to reach for the bear, at the same time.

' _Ignorance is bliss, I guess,'_ Kaname idly thought. Honestly speaking, he had never expected Luka to awaken under this kind of circumstance; let alone open _that_ kind of ability. Nevertheless, the deed was done; and though he was upset at the course of events, he wasn't stupid enough to blame his little brother for it - when it was clear that the child hardly knew _what it was_ he had done in the first place.

' _It was bound to happen sooner or later.'_

A heavy sigh escaped him as he placed his elbows against his knees, allowing his head to slump forward as his entire body slouched from the stress of the night and the strain of his thoughts.

Was this it, then?

Were all their attempts to appear _normal_ in the eyes of the world - lead up to nothing but this?

 _'Damn it all!'_ he thought irritably, feeling like the weight of the world was falling on his shoulders.

In the midst of his despairing troubles, Kaname felt a hand rub soothing circles against his tensed back. Turning to face its owner, he was appalled at what he saw.

Regina was growing _paler_ with each passing minute.

" _Nee-san,_ what's wrong?"

He asked as he grabbed her hand, feeling its demure form tremble beneath his grip - the usual warmth, _frozen,_ like ice.

She gave no immediate response but continued to smile at him, encouraging him to remain strong.

If anything, for _their sake._

"Everything's gonna be alright, _Nee-san,"_ he whispered as he held her hand between his own, attempting to transmit a bit of warmth to her. "I'll do everything I can to-"

"Teddy is Teddy," Kanato abruptly yelled out, diverting the boy's attention from the young girl, "You have no right to treat him like this!"

"Stop whining," Subaru barked, "You're gonna make my ears bleed with your constant bitching, you bastard!"

"That bear is possessed! Might as well throw it into a fucking incinerator!" Ayato added.

"No!"

' _Don't they ever get tired of their banter?'_ The actinolite-eyed boy thought with an arched brow as he gazed at his uncles with mild contempt. About to turn around and face his distressed sister, Kaname took notice of his Father's fervent gaze directly observing them - _him? -_ despite constantly inputting his two-cents into the present argument.

Somehow, there seemed to be an almost melancholic sentiment reflected within his olive gaze.

But just as fast as it had appeared, it was gone.

The boy shook his head.

' _That man is seriously-...Huh?'_

With a trembling hand, he reached out to cover his throbbing right eye - power surging forth as he felt the familiar sensation invade him as before.

An image, like a photographic memory, made its unprecedented appeared within his mind.

 _It was a young, petite blonde - who strangely, resembled to an uncanny degree, his beloved eldest sister - smiling down at a single red rose she held between her porcelain hands. Dainty fingers weaved through billowing strands of flaxen blonde as she gently tucked them behind her ear; the pale moonlight shining down on her lithe form._

 _Suddenly, she gazed up at him, deep morganite - resembling a rosy hue - staring deep into his soul as he approached her, before his own hand reached out to caress her moonlit cheek._

 _And, though visibly nervous at the abrupt contact, she lifted a demure hand toward his own, pressing it further as she gave him a heart-rending smile and whispered his name._

 ** _"Laito-kun..."_**

"Kaname-kun?...Kaname-kun?"

Startled out of his silent reverie, the boy looked at his sister, wide-eyed.

"Is everything alright? Does your eye hurt again?" She asked in worry as she reached out to touch him.

"Y-Yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry, _Nee-san_...It was just an eyelash that fell into it." He smiled, and though he knew his sister didn't believe him, now was not the time to bring up such subject about what he had _seen_.

' _What was that?'_ he wondered as he stared back at Laito, ' _I may be wrong about this but...that woman was my...my m-mother...But how- why?'_

"We did what we had to do, now would you seriously stop bitching already?" Ayato yelled out at Kanato, interrupting Kaname's perplexed state.

Choleric, the mauve-eyed triplet approached his brother, prepared to throw a tantrum like none before.

"I'm not bitching!" Kanato yelled out, "You didn't have to treat Teddy like some sort of criminal!" Kanato lashed out, tears bordering his mauve gaze as a visible frown marred his handsome, pale features.

"And what makes you think we shouldn't have?! The toy's possessed!" Ayato responded with equal fervor, standing at par with his brother's own stance. He had already put up with enough of his triplet's childish tantrums at his inherent attachment toward the psychotic bear; and the somewhat close proximity toward the child proclaimed to be his own, that Ayato was beginning to grow irate with each passing second.

"Because he's _my_ bear!"

"That doesn't make the fact that he tried to fucking kill us, any better!" Subaru added, observing the tied toy with a murderous glare; which was returned, in kind, with equally enraged black eyes.

"Maybe, but," Kanato pouted, "You didn't have to put him inside a cage like some kind of wild animal! He's a stuffed bear!"

"Don't fucking blame us for Laito's tastes! He's the one that brought it from his room!" Subaru responded.

"Hey~ don't throw me under the bus, you guys~" Laito responded, "After all, I did go through the trouble of getting it for you guys! I thought you'd be more grateful to _moi~!"_

"Why the hell do you even have a pet cage in your room?" Ayato questioned as he sat on the chair and crossed his arms against his chest.

"Hey~ I don't ask you about _your_ private collection~" Laito glared through a smile.

Ayato scoffed.

Kaname, having heard the remark, rolled his eyes - the prior incident being discarded as nothing but a fluke caused by a stressed mind.

"You're still not allowed to touch my Teddy!" Kanato continued.

"Enough with this uncouth banter!" Reiji chastised sternly, his patience wearing off. "I've indulged you long enough. This will now be done and dealt with accordingly." He said and ordered the bear be taken away.

"Where are you taking Teddy, Reiji?" Kanato demanded.

"I am not inclined to tell you." With a single swipe of his hand, a familiar appeared and - providing a courteous bow - left the room with the blasphemous bear.

" _Tch."_ Subaru turned away as he leaned against the wall behind Ayato.

"Whatever," Ayato crossed one leg over the other and looked up at the ceiling.

" _Nfu~_ You're such a killjoy, Reiji~" Laito shrugged, appearing to be enjoying the provoked fight to an extent.

"About time the noise quieted down," Shu yawned as he took a seat against the edge of the couch, opposite to Kaname and Regina.

"Reiji," Kanato glowered as he unconsciously picked up Luka - who appeared to be saddened by the bear's dismissal, "You're the one that had suggested doing this to Teddy in the first place!"

The currant*-eyed vampire fixed his glasses against the bridge of his nose, "I merely brought forth the idea that we capture the bear to prevent any further damages to the manor. Now, continuing on to the actual problem. Kanato," The mauve-eyed triplet glared at his bespectacled brother, "Hand the boy over to me."

"What?" Kanato questioned aloud.

"What?" Kaname seconded.

Regina could only gape at her Father's order.

"He _is_ the cause of all of this in the first place~," Laito suggested, adding more fuel to the fire. Regina and Kaname immediately turned to him, both of their eyes widened in horror by the obvious direction of this conversation.

"We should just lock him up alongside the bear." Ayato added without a care.

Subaru, though relatively quiet, stared at the boy with obvious disgruntlement.

At a loss for words, Kanato looked down at Luka, who only stared at the approaching vampire in confusion. He couldn't understand the mix of emotions that appeared after he first held the boy in his arms, and yet, the warmth that exuded off his being reminded him constantly of _her._

Of the woman he and his brothers yearned to forget.

"What do you want with him?" He asked, his arms tightening further around the boy.

"Do not question my motives, Kanato. Hand over the boy."

But Kanato blatantly refused, surprising his brothers and the boy's siblings.

"He's mine."

"You don't even know if he's your _fucking_ kid!" Subaru chastised angrily.

"We have proof don't we?"

"And you're really gonna believe that _bullshit_?" Ayato added as well.

"He's mine." Kanato repeated.

" _Nfu~_ Even if he was, there's no proof as to say that he is _all_ yours." Laito interrupted.

"What are you saying, Laito?" The mauve-eyed vampire glared at his brother through half-lidded eyes.

"He's basically saying that _that woman_ had better tastes in men than to go sleeping with a tantrum-throwing-baby-wannabe," Shu said as he looked at his brothers with a bored expression.

Kanato flushed.

"What?!"

"Enough!" Reiji yelled again, "I will not repeat myself. Hand that boy over, now."

Kaname tried to step in, but was quickly interceded by his sister, who practically jumped in front of her Father, the boy, and Kanato.

"Please, _Otou-sama,"_ One hand lay atop of his arm, legs quivering beneath her in fear as she used all of her willpower to not faint then and there. The other arm immediately reached out for the trembling child, who looked just about ready to cry, as she gently shushed him against her shoulder. "He is of no threat to any of us...to any of _you_. His awakening was simply processed much earlier than any of us had anticipated."

"What do you mean by that?" Ayato stood from his chair, obviously intrigued.

Apparently, her sudden outburst had earned her the attention of everyone present in the room, including the semi-sleeping Shu.

Morganite glanced all around her in silent alarm.

"Regina," Italian-leathered shoes tapped impatiently against the ground, their heavy sound muffled by the fine Turkish rug that lay beneath, "I believe it is high time that we be given a thorough explanation for these _unprecedented_ events."

"Y-Yes, _Otou-sama..."_

Kaname was quick to move when he saw that she was having difficulty doing so. Reaching out to grab her arm, he gently coaxed her into the nearest seat, knowing fully well that she wouldn't be able to move further within her frightened paralysis. Beside them, he noticed, Kanato took his own seat and took Luka away from Regina, sitting the boy against his own lap.

Knowing that Regina wouldn't say anything against it, he opted in letting the situation flow - for now.

"Time is of essence, young lady," Reiji glared, "We're waiting."

"I-I... _Otou-sama..._ You see-"

"What she meant earlier was that the powers we possess are much different than that of a normal vampire or _nosferatu*._ We do not have the mental capacity to sustain it immediately after awakening, but we do contain the physical sustenance to endure the effect it presents on us."

The brothers faced the boy.

"Oh~?" Laito asked, "How come?"

"Is it because you're closely related to half-bloods?" Reiji looked at the three with added interest, but to Kaname's chagrin, it was the kind of look that a mad scientist would give to a lab rat before starting an experiment.

"Yes, I suppose, we weren't given much freedom to research on what made us different other than the facts presented in our every day interaction. After all, its not very common for a dhampyr to be born from a union between a human woman and a vampire."

"Technically speaking, it _should_ be impossible to give birth to one - let alone six children - when the human womb is providing nutrients to a newborn vampire, however, that doesn't add up to the fact that you all exist when none of us ever had intercourse with... _that woman."_

"Father Komori had already explained it to us. He said that Mother had been gone when-"

"Left," Ayato added with a frown, " _She left."_

"Erm... _left,"_ Kaname corrected, "When there was a Full Moon _and_ a Lunar eclipse. Full moons weaken pure-blooded vampires, no?"

"Yes, that's true," Laito agreed.

"Father Komori suggested that perhaps you had all entered into a state of bloodlust that prevented you from rationalizing with your instincts-"

"So you're basically accusing us of raping her," Subaru slammed his fist against the frame, "Don't fucking give us that bullshit!"

"Not at all," Kaname's gaze was frigid, calculative, as if he were attempting to decipher more of a truth than a given opinion. "But there would lie that possibility if none of you remember being with our mother."

"There still lies the possibility that someone else impregnated _Bitch-chan,"_ Laito suggested with a smirk.

Many of his brothers turned to him with a glare, as if the mere idea of it was too much to bear, let alone, stomach.

"That's a grave accusation you're throwing toward my Mother's memory," Kaname glowered.

"But it _could_ be a possibility."

"Not likely," Kaname insisted, though Regina could tell his patience was wearing thin.

"How come~?"

"Because," Kaname reached out for the scissors that had been previously used to cut the ends of the twine, and without further explanation cut his wrist.

Regina immediately grabbed his arm and asked, with a hoarse whisper, " _But_ _Kaname-kun, why-?"_

 _"It's the only way."_

The scent of blood filled the air.

The Sakamaki brothers stared at the boy, their eyes widened in surprise.

"That's impossible!" Ayato said as he stared at the rapidly closing gash.

"You're a dhampyr," Reiji added with visible bewilderment, "How is it possible that the blood flowing in your veins... is _pure?"_

Kaname simply stared at them as he licked the residual blood from his arm.

The wound was completely gone.

And in the air, the sweet scent of the Sakamaki Royal Bloodline, pervaded.

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**

 **ore-sama** \- self-centered way of saying, ' _me'_ or ' _I'_ in Japanese

 **oji/ji-san/oji-san** \- meaning " _Uncle_ ", in Japanese.

 **Nosferatu** \- basically these are humans who were turned into vampires.

 **currant** \- a dark shade of red.


	8. Gifted Curse: Part II

**_A warm welcome to all who have recently begun to read T-M-T-E-T-S and a great big thank you to those who have persevered throughout these past few months alongside me._**

 ** _Due to unforeseen - yet not unwelcome - circumstances, my update times for both stories will follow an irregular pattern of productivity. This is because my class and work schedules, which will coincide starting August, will permit me little to no time for constant updates._**

 ** _I guess its like they say, 'Everything for the sake of the future.'_**

 ** _That, however, does not mean that I will forget about you all._**

 ** _I love writing as much as I love enthralling my readers._**

 ** _Patience is all I require; and if you'd grant me that, I will keep my promise to complete my stories without keeping you all at a permanent hiatus._**

 ** _With that said..._**

 ** _Onward we go._**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter VI

 ** _Gifted Curse: Part II_**

Nightfall descended across the land.

The gentle rays of the midnight moon permeated through the flashing clouds, seeking the warm terrain in which to spread its crystalline glow. Yet, the dour and thunderous storm forbade the orb's luminescent descent - transmuting the dusky blue of the tempestuous skies into a sable shade that rivaled the forsaken night; _devouring_ all in sight.

Thrumming roes of lightning strikes resonated across the heavens like clashing blades. An ominous roar accompanied it shortly after, _reverberating,_ through the rustic manor as if announcing its monstrous presence upon the land; joining the rumble in a calamitous symphony that grew louder and louder, until finally, dying off into the distance like drums of an impending war.

Ruminating within its barred cage, the eye-patched teddy bear observed heaven's descent through rain-splattering windowsills.

Broken twine lay visibly dispersed behind him; shredded pieces scattered inauspiciously across the floor of the metallic encasement.

Approaching the thin bars of the pet cage, Teddy grasped them with an almost restrained force.

The dent left behind from its stuffed hold may not have been as exceedingly obvious, but it was proof enough.

A crooked grin broadened across its sewn features.

It seemed the effect was beginning to wear off.

 ** _~S.O.V~_**

Wall-mounted candle sconces of ancient Gothic design, visibly hung against the garnet-dyed walls of the Sakamaki manor, alighting the elongated hallways with their flickering glims. However, rather than suppress the growing shadows of the night, it appeared to somehow _enhance_ the surrounding darkness; plunging the already funereal ambient into a state of mournful _dread._

Undeterred by the vibes of their newfound environment, the self-proclaimed leader, alongside his wary sisters, continued to walk around the abandoned hallways; extensively searching through every unlocked door and solitary hall that they came across, for any sign of their missing siblings ( _and the exit_ ) - to no avail.

Coming to an abrupt stop ( _after a specific flash of lightning illuminated the dusky hall of the manor's West Wing_ ) the children soon came to an unsettling conclusion, after completing a _third_ roundabout on the second floor - when they came face-to-face with, yet _another,_ dead end.

" _Oh my God,_ Akumu," Hime huffed as she turned to face her brother, annoyance clearly visible within her azure gaze. "This is exactly why I _told you_ to take a different hall! We've been walking around in circles!"

Rolling his eyes in equal displeasure as the blonde, the choleric red-head simply crossed his arms against his chest - refusing to admit to the mistake he had _obviously_ made somewhere along the line.

"And _I_ told _you_ ," he faced her, irked by her continual accusations against him, "We _were_ going in the right direction! Z'not my fault that I got stuck with a _squeaking_ hen that can't keep her mouth shut for two seconds!"

Placing her hands against her hips, Hime corrected him, much to the boy's chagrin. "Hens ' _cluck'_ not ' _squeak'_ ; and I believe the word you're looking for is ' _squawk'_ , _baka_!"

He scoffed.

Her small bubble of superiority burst into pieces when she realized _exactly to what_ she was admitting. In a whiplash, she instantly faced her brother, puffing her cheeks; a small tinge of rouge brightening her face, showcasing her embarrassment at the slip.

Akumu turned away from her, his hands resting behind his head.

"You know," he said as he lay his back against the wall, a hint of aversion in his tone, "If they ever decided to give out awards to the worst - _most annoying_ \- backseat _walkers_ in the world, you'd win first place, hands down, Hime- _nee_!"

Abashed by his brutal jibe, Hime stomped her way toward the indifferent boy, raising a finger toward his head - her stature overpowering his own frame by mere inches - _jabbing_ a manicured fingernail against his forehead ( _mentally yearning to drill a hole through his thick skull),_ before he raised his hand and slapped hers away in blatant irritation.

"For the record," she added, displeased, "That's not even a thing; and I'm neither a hen _nor_ a backseat _anything_! I suggested we take another hall because the one before this seemed kind of sketchy. _You,_ on the other hand," she raised her chin in confidence, "were the one that had to be all ' _Ore-sama_ this' and ' _Ore-sama_ that' and deciding ' _No, we're going the right way! I know where we're going! Stop telling Ore-sama what to do!'"_

In mimicking the boy's actions and words, the unsuspecting blonde earned a confused stare from Luna ( _who observed their heated banter with growing unease);_ and an eye-rolling glare from Akumu ( _who was beginning to lose what little patience he had toward the oldest of the three)._

"Cut me some slack, will ya," he huffed, slightly," I haven't lived here all my life, ya know."

" _Oh sure~_ ," she scoffed as she took a seat against one of the resting chairs that adored the dusky hallway,"and it's not like you would even bother remembering how we were led to our rooms in the first place, right?"

Akumu scowled at her from the corner of his eyes.

"If it was _that_ _easy_ , how come _you_ didn't do it?"

She turned toward him, eyes drastically widened as if he had just insulted her. "It's not _my_ job to keep track of things!"

"So what? Now it's _my_ job?"

"It was meant to be, but you know what? It seems I've overestimated your capabilities. _Clearly,_ " she extended her arms to the side, pointing at the end of the hall, "You can't handle such leap of responsibility."

He moved away from the wall, obviously upset at her lack of faith in him, "And who says I can't handle it?!"

"Look around you, you dummy! Because of you, we're lost!"

"What, so now you're trying to throw this whole thing on me? Don't give me that bullshit!"

"Well~," she stood from the chair and turned her back to him, "If the shoe just so happens to fit~, _wear it_!"

"Why, you-!"

And, once more, an argument erupted between the two - _most incompatible -_ siblings.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Observant ruby stared around her, wearily transfixed, by the drab hall with glum interior. Her attention, though momentarily diverted toward the ranting siblings ( _whose argument had blown out of proportions as they pointed fingers over whose fault it was that they were stuck in this predicament),_ would often return to her surroundings.

Garnet-dyed walls, encompassed by fine lines of ebony and gold, flashed nefariously by the crashing lightning outside the rain-splattering windowsills. Darkness, far more deeper and vacant than the eternal abyss, swallowed the halls in a shadowed cloak that not even the flickering candle glow of the sconces could illuminate.

Gray ceilings, with equally bleak floorboards - covered by a single central rug that was as red as the blood in their veins- creaked with the rolling thunder; its low, sonorous tone resembling that of a wounded animal's moan.

 _ba-bump..._

The suffocating emotion emitting from the unfamiliar residence, though completely disregarded by the bickering siblings, was felt in all its raw fervor by the platinum-blonde. Quivering, she tentatively reached out to grasp her chest, clutching at the fabric of her nightgown in muted anxiety.

 _ba-bump..._

She could feel it.

 _ba-bump..._

Her eyes were beginning to pulsate in even beat to her heart.

 _ba-bump..._

The blurry sight of the cascading rain upon the window reflected the unearthly beauty of the glims in their flickering form.

 _Ba-Bump..._

Deeply focused on the sensations, was she, that she failed to realize the smoldering ruby gazing back at her from the opaqued glass.

 _Ba-bump..._

 _It hurt._

 _It hurt so much._

Despite her young age and naivety toward the world outside the stark monastery of her early infancy, Luna could bleakly understand the pain that emerged from within the shadowed relics of the antiquated castle.

It was enough to make her want to cry, without knowing exactly _why._

Hesitant, she looked around her.

The overturned contrast of this place only served to add to the somberness it exuded.

Running up to her rampaging sister, she reached out to her dress, grasping the silky cloth of the nightgown as she muffled a small shriek from a passing flash of lightning that had frightened her from her thoughts.

Earlier sentiments now astray, the glowing red of her orbs faded out, returning them back to their ruby shade.

The loud ' _crack'_ rebounding from the sky across the land heightened the fear the child felt.

Without the safety of her eldest sister's embrace, Luna felt herself slowly succumb to the terror of this new environment.

It was at times like these that she missed her mother.

Especially the warmth of her hugs.

 _"Come here, sweetheart," The blonde beauty with deep morganite eyes beckoned the child to her, extending her arms in assurance, "What's wrong?"_

 _"Kaa-chama!" the child ran toward her, trickling tears staining her creamy cheeks, as she carried a small white rabbit in her arms. "Kaa-chama, the little rabbit is asleep! He won't wake up no more!"_

 _Compassionate of her daughter's plight, the blonde smiled sadly as she petted the child's hair, combing through the whitened strands with such soothing gentleness that calmed the sniveling cherub in her arms, "Sweetheart, the little rabbit has gone to heaven now."_

 _"But why?" she asked in her innocence, cradling the unmoving animal with such tenderness that melted the woman's heart._

 _"Sometimes," she said as she rocked the newborn boy in his crib while carrying the toddler in her arms, "God chooses the most beautiful flowers from his garden to pick."_

 _"But why little rabbit?" She cried._

 _"Every soul goes through the cycle of life in this world, God created us as such in order to cherish every day of our lives; and, when its time to go back to Him, we rest in eternal slumber."_

 _"Then, is the little rabbit going to sleep forever?"_

 _"Yes, darling."_

 _Luna brushed away the tears and lay a soft kiss atop the rabbit's head. "Goodnight, little rabbit."_

 _The blonde woman smiled sadly at the scene, but embraced her daughter nonetheless. "Come," she placed the animal on the ground, ceremoniously; kneeling in prayer as she joined her palms before her, "Let's pray so that God may bless him and keep him."_

 _Luna closed her eyes and prayed alongside her Mother, sensing the warmth that emanated from her being, and the happiness the little rabbit felt as its soul finally found its peace._

' _Kaa-chama...Nee-chama...'_ she trembled, small tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes; her dismay remaining unnoticed by the two fervently arguing siblings.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

"Just admit it!" Akumu continued with their banter, as they tried to settle - _once and for all_ \- the cast of blame. "We're lost because you were distracting me with all your rambling, you dumb blonde!"

" _Ugh_! How dare you, you self-centered brat!"

"Self-centered? You're the one that spends an hour and a half in the bathroom mirror, you narcissist- _ist_!"

"It's pronounced ' _narcissist',_ you idiot! Get a dictionary if you don't know the words!"

"Shut up!" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "I ran out of saliva and got tongue-tied, you tyrannical princess!"

"First of all, _ew~,"_ Hime scrunched her nose in disgust, "Second of all, I _am_ a princess. After all, my Daddy is the future King of the vampires."

"As if!"

" _Kaa-sama_ believed so, that's why she named me _Hime_ ; and I'm not a tyrant! It's not my fault that people succumb to my wishes easily. I bet my Daddy would-"

"There you go again with your ' _Daddy'_ this and ' _Daddy_ ' that," he threw his hands above his head, exasperated to hear the word ' _Daddy'_ mentioned over and over again by the blonde.

"Well, he _is_ my Daddy, so I have a right to call him as I please!" Sticking her tongue out at the boy, she pulled Luna along with her, intent on heading back from where they stood to try another exit. Exaggerating a sigh, she shrugged with indifference as she asked aloud, "Where's Kaname when you need him? He wouldn't have us walking around in circles like this."

" _Oi_ , I heard that!" Akumu pouted, "And for the record, I am _way_ better than Kaname- _nii!"_

She sneered.

" _Says_ the one that got us lost in the first place."

"I already told you it wasn't my damned fault! You're the backseat walker here, not me!" He responded with displeasure, "Besides, we both know you suck at taking the lead!"

"I do not!"

"Ya do too!"

"Do _not_!"

"Do _too_! Besides, you can't even tell the difference between left and right!"

She flushed, " _Oh,_ as if _you_ could do better!"

"Of course I can! I am, after all, the best one at everything!"

"Oh, for goodness sake!" She threw her hands in the air, "You think you're _so~ great_!"

"If you would shut up for once, I would have led us all around the damned house with my eyes closed, and you know it!"

"P~lease," she scoffed, "If you're such a big, fat, know-it-all, then by all means enlighten us, _Oh~ Great One_!"

"I will, and you'll be-!"

A deafening silence interrupted their banter, instantly encompassing the raucous hallway with its noiseless atmosphere, as a scent - _metallic and rustic in its redolence_ \- overbore their senses with its sickeningly sweet fragrance.

Eyes widened in shock.

Their worst feels crawled up against their spine.

" _N-Nee-chama,"_ Luna tugged on Hime's nightgown, her ruby gaze never leaving sight of the passageway from whence darkness appeared more ominous and unsettling than the brewing storm, "...b-blood.."

Hime immediately lifted the frightened child in her arms, embracing her tightly while rocking back and forth to quell her terror. " _Sh~Sh~_ Luna," she said, own voice dripping with fear, "Everything is going to be alri-!" Mid-stride, however, Hime's hand bolted straight toward her own quivering lips; a sharp sting overbearing her senses in an instant.

The blonde dhampyr could feel her incisors stretch against her upper jaw. Their previous sharpened point appeared more prominent against her lips, as the painful jab of the fangs sought out the one food it had abstained from for months; parching her throat with insatiable thirst.

Alarm reflected off her azure orbs as she faced her, _uncharacteristically quiet,_ brother.

"Akumu," she beckoned with dread, "Is it... _Nee-sama_ 's?" Knowing fully well that Akumu, in comparison to any of them, had a keener sense in discerning Regina's blood; for a reason that, even now, still affected him.

His expression, though controlled and unreadable, was marred by a visible frown.

Nevertheless, if there was one thing that could give credibility to the boiling emotions she had perceived earlier from him, it was the trembling fist at his side.

"If it _were_ her's," he suggested, emerald eyes narrowing at where the scent remained heaviest, "Then our fangs would be the least of our worries. No," he sniffed slightly, "It's Kaname- _nii_ 's."

"Kaname?" she asked, astonished. "But, why would- Did something happen to him?"

"Doesn't seem to be the case."

Sniffing once more, and using his _\- now heightened -_ senses, Akumu pondered on the smell before discerning how deep the wound was from his current position.

' _One of the perks of being born a dhampyr, I guess.'_

He mentally scoffed.

Quite the gift, _indeed_.

"It's just a small cut. Probably even did it himself." He answered after a few minutes, sensing the tension emanating from the eldest.

"Self-inflicted a wound?" Hime gasped, cradling Luna in her arms who was beginning to cry, "What was that boy thinking?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, "But we both know he wouldn't do something like that unless..."

He went silent.

"Unless what?" Hime questioned with increasing apprehension for the safety of her siblings. "Akumu! Tell me! _Unless_ what?!"

"Something's wrong."

" _Oh no."_

Saying no more on the subject, and keeping both of his sisters on edge, the emerald-eyed boy turned toward the passageway and grabbed the blonde's hand securely in his own before bolting straight down the hall.

Making his way through every corridor and room in sight, the boy let himself be guided by the scent of his brother's blood.

Despite the obvious unease caused by the rustic odor, he wasn't exactly concerned about the well-being of the actinolite-eyed boy. At least, not as much as the other two.

After all, he knew his brother well.

The older of the three males was a natural-born genius with a penchant for absorbing anything he learned _once_ \- something most (if not _majority_ ) of them lacked, despite being related. It took him quite the amount of years to admit that his brother held potential to be _slightly_ better than the great _Akumu-sama_ , but when he did, it made things much easier to cope with.

Like the fact that Kaname had a great sense of self-defense with, _and without_ , the use of force; which **he** had to forcibly learn through experience.

However, the same could not be said about the other two.

Still a toddler, Luka could barely hold his own weight; and Regina, his sweet and loving _Nee-chan_ , was far too gentle a soul to raise a single hand against anyone.

Even _if_ it were for the sake of self-defense.

He tightened his grasp on Hime's hand unconsciously.

The memory of Regina's beautiful, alabaster skin had suddenly come to mind - _and with it -_ the image of the hideous purple marring it, caused by none other than own Father.

' _Damn him.'_

Ayato was nowhere near the ' _cool guy'_ persona his Mother had made him out to be.' _Kaa-chan thought he was cool...but he must've lied to her too. I guess...we were both wrong about him, then.'_

Distance and time appearing almost irrelevant to one another as their images flashed by through every window pane, the red-haired dhampyr was too caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to realize the aquamarine eyes staring at his back, fretting.

Being led roughly along the corridors did not suit Hime at all, and though she would often make a fuss about being treated in such a way, she refused to make a peep. One of the main reasons being her overflowing concern for the safety of her two younger brothers and eldest sister.

The other, was currently stringing her along like a sack of potatoes.

 _'Akumu,'_ she thought as she watched his red hair flow back and forth with every sudden turn.

Even though they were as unequivocally incompatible as their born gifts, she still cared for him. He was, after all, her younger brother.

That was exactly why, even though she didn't have Luna's ability to read a person's heart, she could still tell that something did not bode well with the emerald-eyed boy since she woke him up; and, though he may not be much of a morning person ( _even though it was well past night-time),_ this spontaneous change of attitude was something new, even to her.

"Let's hurry."

There was that same ' _dead serious'_ gaze of his that meant trouble, but she could not - for the life of her - determine if it was a warning for them, or toward him.

' _Maybe its a fluke.'_ She hushed Luna's muffled whimpers as the pain of the fangs began to recede, reverting her incisors back to their unsharpened state. ' _It has to be.'_

And yet, the boy's attitude continued to unnerve her.

He suddenly stopped, causing the blonde to crash against his back.

"What is it?" she asked, internally fretting that something bad was standing in their way.

"I told you I could lead us out if you would shut up for once," he smirked, and though she would've begun the banter all over again, something in his eyes did not reflect the same confidence that his smile posed.

"Hmph!" she turned away, rolling her eyes.

And so, momentarily forgetting about those unpleasant thoughts, Hime continued to follow him, silently praying that her sister and brothers were safe, while holding Luna tightly against her, as they descended down the corridor to the main hall.

Down, toward where the pervading scent began to slowly disappear.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Though the men were still stunned by the revelation of their kin, the two siblings were momentarily trapped in their own world to pay much attention to those around them.

It had not taken long for the wound on Kaname's wrist to heal, but even with the unmarred skin intact, it still wasn't enough to placate Regina's concern over her brother.

"I'm really fine, _Nee-san,"_ he smiled, reassuringly, "Honest. The wound is gone now, see?" He held up his wrist and demonstrated that no cut or scar was left after the little show-and-tell he had done to prove his point.

Gentle hands, slightly cold to the touch, softly brushed against his wrist - cautiously inspecting that there truly was no lingering pain on the boy's body. After guaranteeing that no damage was done, a small, slightly tremulous sigh, escaped her lips as relieved tears pooled on the corner of her eyes.

"Please, Kaname-kun," she silently begged as she held his wrist in both her hands, "Don't ever do something like that again. I don't want any of you to get hurt," then, with the softest whisper, added, "... _for my sake..."_

Though barely audible to any of the males, Kaname had clearly heard her last words - realizing then how deathly afraid she had been for him.

Ashamed at his actions, he grasped her hands in his and planted a warm kiss atop the alabaster skin. "I'm really sorry, _Nee-san._ I promise I won't do something like that again."

Teary morganite glanced upward at apologetic actinolite, searching for some form of affirmation to his promise.

He quickly made a cross sign atop his heart, "Scout's honor."

A soft giggle escaped her lips as a smile graced her features, though sadness still pooled behind her rosy orbs.

He kissed her hands again and smiled brightly to ease away her tension.

" _Ahem."_

Both siblings turned to face their Fathers and Uncles. Least to say, none of the adults thought there was anything remotely funny about the current situation, to deserve a beaming smile from the lad.

"So," Ayato crossed his arms against his chest, the fabric of his already unbuttoned shirt stretching alongside his visible pectorals, "If your blood _is_ pure like ours, then you've gotta be a full-pledge vampires like us, right?"

"Well, not exactly-" Kaname found himself immediately interrupted by Shu, who had stated a fact through a tone of indifference.

"That woman was human, though."

"Precisely why," Reiji added, fixing his glasses against the bridge of his aristocratic nose, "This situation appears to be almost surreal."

Subaru scratched the back of his head in frustration, "It doesn't make any damned sense!"

"Nfu~ If they _were_ full-pledge purebloods, Ayato, how do you explain their powers?" Laito remarked with a cheshire grin as he continued to glance back at Kaname.

"Good point," both red and white head agreed.

"Interesting observation, Laito," Reiji stated as he walked toward the two children, "However, it still leaves us at square one. If not purebloods, why is their blood pure?"

Thoughts immediately broke out into words as each brother speculated some sort monstrous hybrid in the children that became more and more ridiculous with each muttered suggestion.

Kanato observed the unraveling ordeal with Luka in his lap, who glanced upward at the bickering lot. Both mauve-haired, father and son, sported the same confused stares as they looked from side to side at the growing tension between the groups.

Kaname finally decided he had had enough.

"If you'd let me speak, I'd be glad to explain what little information we were provided by Father Komori." Interrupting their banter, and gaining the Sakamaki's full attention, he cleared his throat as if presenting a project. "As to what you had mentioned earlier, Uncle," he faced Ayato, "Though the blood in our veins _is_ pure, we are still _essentially_ dhampyres through and through."

"That makes no damned sense, whatsoever," Subaru added with a scowl.

"Remain silent, Subaru, if you have nothing better to add." Reiji chastised, earning a heated glare from his white-haired brother.

Kaname took a deep, and much needed, breath. "To better explain myself, you've said so yourselves. Our Mother was fully human."

The brothers looked at one another in blatant confusion.

Kaname mentally sighed.

' _Guess I'll just have to explain myself with pins and needles, huh?'_

"You see, regardless of the blood in our veins, we were born from a _human womb._ Chromosomes, DNA, genes, you name it - we inherited that from our human mother. Because of it, our bodies are capable of withstanding things that pure-bloods and half-bloods, or nosferatus, cannot."

"Like~?" Laito asked, intrigued by the topic of conversation.

Kaname briefly ignored his stupid grin, but answered him nonetheless. "We can handle the intensity of the sun in its unfiltered from, unlike purebloods; who project a filtered barrier that protects them from the light so that no damage comes to the cells of their _faceted_ body."

"Interesting," Reiji said, with a small grin on his handsome face that had Regina turn away with a slight blush, earning an arched brow from said male.

"But how did you-?"

"Know?" Kaname finished Ayato's question, "You have one within the premises of the manor. I could see it from miles away, not to mention that Father Komori's library had provided some information in regards to them. Although," he said as he heard the rumbling of the thunder from afar, "I would suggest strengthening it a bit. It's not helping much to ease the current weather."

Laito laughed, practically howling.

Ayato and Subaru hid a snicker behind their hands.

Kaname and Shu grinned.

Reiji slightly coughed, a small grin on him as well.

"Your bodies not masked like other creatures of the night is dully noted. However," he focused his sight on the boy, his form unknowingly close to Regina as she stared at his hand, a deep longing to hold it reflecting off her candid gaze. "Is that all you dhampyres possess? An unwavering form?"

"Yes and no."

"Which is it?" Subaru growled.

"There's more to us than what we currently possess. So far, we've only recently discovered some of our bodies aspects such as - because of our human form, we do not depend highly on blood as your kind - although that does not necessarily mean we do not crave it at times. A Full Moon has no weakening effect on us, at least, not in the same way as it affects pure-blooded vampires. Also," he stared at his father, "garlic and crosses are just vegetables and accessories to us."

Laito smirked. "Nfu~ We're not affected by garlic and crosses either, Kaname- _kyun."_

Regina observed Kaname's scowl with anxiousness, however, it was quickly replaced with a collected mask that only increased her worry.

The boy shrugged. "Shame. I thought I could buy some to at least _repel_ you."

"Kaname-kun!" Regina shrieked, her eyes - much like everyone else's - darting back and forth between father and son.

Laito observed his son with a twinkle of mischief in his olive eyes. "I don't know why, but I take it you don't like me, huh? Kaname- _kyun~."_

"I wonder what gave _that_ away?" he responded bitterly, though his actions reflected a maturity beyond his years.

Like a cat toying with its prey, Laito languidly made his way toward the couch where Kaname, Regina, Kanato, and Luka sat. "Nfu~!" A conniving, _salacious_ grin became him, putting the boy at edge.

Approaching Regina, he scooted Kanato over, practically pushing the male off the seat, as he plopped beside the sable-haired girl; seductively crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back and wrapped an arm around the teenager's petite frame, glancing at his son from behind the girl's head.

Regina was oblivious to the man's exuding pheromones, but Kaname was no idiot.

That lecherous bastard was trying to make a pass at his _Nee-san_!

Laito smirked in triumph.

The boy looked like he was about to rip his head off.

"Well, darn," he added insult to the injury, "and here I thought we could get to know each other well, but, if that's the case," he placed his chin atop Regina's shoulder, blowing a gust of cool air against her neck; earning, in response, a tiny ' _eep'_ from her, "I guess your big sister and I will get to know each other _really_ well."

Kaname jumped out of his seat. "Don't you dare lay your hands on her-!"

However, what surprised them all was that Reiji had grasped Laito by the collar and lifted him off the seat, away from the girl as he threw him back onto the chaise. "Enough of your childish games, Laito. We are in the middle of a serious conversation."

"Hai~Hai~," The olive-eyed male smirked, his face momentarily covered by his fedora hat, "No need to get protective Reiji."

The raven-haired brother rolled his eyes, neither denying the accusation, nor confirming it.

Kaname, ignoring the two brothers, was quick to jump to his sister's side and ask her if she was alright.

She smiled innocently, "I'm fine, Kaname-kun. Uncle Laito didn't hurt me."

"That's not what I meant..." he sighed.

"Hm?" She asked, not knowing to what other way he referred his question.

Disgruntled, Kaname sat back in his seat, glaring at his Father, who sported that stupid triumphant grin on his face, _again._ It was now, more than ever, that he felt everyone and everything around them pose a threat to his beloved sister's safety, ( _especially his damned perverted Father)_ if her innocent mind could not detect the crudeness behind _that_ man's actions.

"Returning to the issue at hand," Reiji continued, realigning the conversation to the main topic, "the validity of your _form_ does not necessarily explain the purity of your blood."

Calming himself, Kaname proceeded with his explanation. "I believe there had been a letter, once," he faced Regina for confirmation, who nodded in agreement, "Which Father Komori had received from this, _Tougo Sakamaki_ person. The contents of the letter, as far as Father Komori had summarized, explained Mr. Sakamaki's belief that our mother's blood may have had something to do with why our blood was pure."

The Sakamaki brothers glanced at one another, solemn and melancholic as they recalled the woman that had nudged her way into their lives, and abandoned them without a trace.

Except, of course, that which stood before them.

The two siblings observed as the solemnity in their gazes replaced itself with unfiltered hatred, within the blink of an eye.

Kaname had instantly discerned that they _knew_ something the rest of them _didn't_ , but he'd rather let them speak when deemed necessary.

As it was, he had other pressing matters to worry about than them.

"What about your powers?" Reiji had asked, after the silence in the room had grown unbearably still.

"Though we are born with these abilities," he raised his hand toward his eye, "we are only aware of their development when we awaken them."

"What about your awakening, then?" Shu yawned. He had sat upright on his seat after the moment of silence, "Is there a specific age or time for you to awaken your vampiric side?"

The triplets, and Subaru, idly glanced at Luka, who - as before - was happily unaware of what was happening around him as he played with his Father's hands.

Kaname, who had followed their line of sight, immediately shook his head. "We've all awakened at different times. Luka, by far, is the only one whose awakening came much earlier than due."

Ayato's momentary confusion was replaced by a pondering question, which had arisen since he first stepped into the room to find a murderous stuffed toy. "Do you have any control over these _powers_?"

"Some of us are still fairly new at them, so we don't exactly have a great extent of control."

"So then you can't control them." Ayato stated, rather than asked.

"We can," he assured.

' _If we practice enough.'_

"So, are all your powers the same?" Kanato asked, glancing at the boy on his lap.

Laito, interrupting Kaname, stated, "Doesn't look like it, since his brother was able to take out every flame in the living room to create a ball of fire in an instant."

Ayato nodded, remembering the earlier incident.

"Yes, that's true. Relatively so." Kaname conceded.

"Million dollar question here is, what's _your_ power?" Laito asked, piqued with interest.

Kaname felt like sweating bullets.

This was a topic he most likely did _not_ want to bring up, for fear of where it may lead, but the perverted idiot had to ask it in such a way that it was impossible to refute.

"My power is the ability to see into a person's memories."

"That's it?" Ayato raised a brow, slightly disappointed that the peak of the conversation had lead to such a boring conclusion.

Kaname bit the inside of his cheek, restraining himself from answering his red-haired uncle in much the same manner as he would his red-haired brother.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Uncle, but I guess it is. We are still growing, so we don't exactly have a full grasp of what our power's limits can do. After all, for these past years, since our respective awakenings, we've tried the best we could to subdue them."

"Then, what am I thinking right now?" Laito smiled.

"I don't remember _memories_ and _thoughts_ being classified under the same definition," Kaname frowned, "and you don't need a genius to guess what your lascivious mind is thinking right now."

The brothers laughed.

"Wait a minute, you mentioned something about _subdue._ You mean your powers? Why?" Kanato asked, looking down at his son.

"For the sake of blending in with the crowd, Uncle." Idly, Kaname had looked over at his sister, whose crestfallen gaze was intently focused on the ground as she incessantly twirled the ends of her hair with her fingers - an action, he knew, meant that her nerves were rampaging like hell at the moment. Placing his hand atop her own, he intertwined his fingers with hers, trying to provide some semblance of comfort for the nervous girl.

The men had not noticed this exchange, except for Laito, who continued to stare at his son with a mixture of emotions, some caused by the similarity the boy had with the woman that had betrayed their trust.

"We lived most of our life, after Mother's death," there was a pause, "in a secluded monastery, away from all forms of social contact with people our age, or people in general. You could imagine how necessary it was for us _dhampyrs_ to blend in with the humans that surrounded us. Partly because only a handful knew of our existence."

"Presumably," Reiji interceded, "Komori and our Father."

Kaname and Regina were about to nod, but stopped short when they realized what Reiji had stated.

"Tougo Sakamaki is our grandfather?" Kaname asked, incredulous.

The brothers nodded, each sporting a different expression that almost resembled disdain at the name.

"Am I to assume you were unaware of that fact?" Reiji asked.

The children nodded.

The bespectacled male sighed.

"We knew Mr. Sakamaki was politic, but not that he was our grandfather." Kaname added, somewhat incredulous by the fact that their relative ( _whom they had initially assumed was simply a distant relative, considering that they never personally met the man other than through constant letters_ ) had been closer than they thought.

"Tougo Sakamaki is simply an alias in the human world," Shu explained, resting his elbow on the side of the couch as he leaned his cheek against his palm. "His real name is Karlheinz - and he's the current Vampire King."

The children appeared momentarily surprised, but considering that they were more familiar with the title than the name, accepted the fact without much to say.

"Regina." Reiji approached the overtly silent girl, who - since the conversation on their powers began - had not uttered a single word.

"Y-Yes, _Otou-sama_?" She sat upright, eyes widened in silent alarm.

"What about your powers then?"

"M-Me?"

"Yes," he stated with an arched brow, "What abilities do you and your other siblings possess?"

Kaname's eyes widened.

 _Shit!_

This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.

"Our siblings, they-!" but Kaname found his momentary diversion instantly interrupted by a sudden spark that alighted the candles atop the central coffee table.

All eyes widened as they turned to face the stairs that led to the second floor.

"Rather than asking Kaname- _nii_ , why don't we just show you?" Akumu suggested as he and his sisters made their way toward the impressed, _and_ distressed, group.

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**


	9. Gifted Curse: Part III

_**Thank you all for understanding the havoc of my life and the patience you've provided thus far. In all honesty, I have been so busy (in and out) that I have neither rest nor the adequate amount of sleep required for a human being to remain - remotely - sane.**_

 _ **Oh well...**_

 _ **To say least, these past few months have been nothing short of chaotic, and have consumed much of what is left of my creative mind.**_

 _ **Nevertheless, I have managed to push through and - as promised - here is the continuation.**_

 ** _For the record, neither one of my stories will be placed on hiatus or given up. I'm working on them as much as I can through what little free time I have. It's just a temporarily slow updating pace for the new chapters, is all._**

 ** _A ginormous thank you hug to all who have been catching up on the chapters, including those who have taken the liberty of their time to leave me a review. Your enjoyment of my stories is my utmost pleasure, and your feedback most welcomed._**

 ** _Please continue to enjoy._**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter VII

 ** _Gifted Curse: Part III_**

The soft glow of the hanging candelabra dispersed its golden light across cerulean-dyed walls. A fanciful array of beams, permeating through intricate Swarovski crystals decorating its antiquarian design, alighted the vibrant hues of pristine white, celestial blue, and royal silver that embellished the opulent bedroom.

And though the adorning backdrop created a visual illusion of heavenly proportions around them, the hellish howls of the moaning wind outside - _recklessly jerking and rattling the windowpanes of the bedroom -_ threatened, in all their their enigmatic glory, to shatter the crystal glass with a terrifying force.

Hime, with an unbecoming silence about her, pondered quietly against the pearl cushioned window seat; somber gaze staring out into the havoc-wreaked land below.

After having willingly confessed to their Fathers, and Uncles, about the powers they possessed - _and discovering that Luka had awakened **his** in the most inapt of times - _Hime had been nothing short of confounded by Kaname's sudden hostility towards her and Akumu, as he - without an uttered sound - dragged the two of them away from prying eyes and ears, and into the nearest room available ( _which, just so happened, to be **her** assigned bedroom). _

Hence, here she found herself, with a heavy atmosphere that encased them in dread.

Discomposed, restive aquamarine glanced to her side, settling onto the two boys accompanying her within the solace of the room.

On one end, restlessly pacing across the eggshell-colored carpet that adorned the wooden floor - Kaname - her usually _composed_ brother, blatantly wore the agitation he felt on his face; as he perpetually tread in a straight line, _back and forth,_ without pause.

On the other hand, Akumu - the more _outspoken_ of the six - stood near the darkest corner of the room, reclining against the brick wall with an air of indifference about him that unsettled the exacting Hime; in much the same way as his contrasting ' _devil-may-care'_ posture, did.

A piqued sigh escaped her, then, incidentally releasing a small puff of hot air onto the frosted window. To which - _unbeknownst to the blonde -_ had mysteriously grown a thick line of _ice flowers*_ that ran across the edges of the thin glass, where her fingers unconsciously rested.

' _Clack...Clack...Clack...'_

Pursing her pink lips into a visible pout, annoyance soon overbore her thoughtful facade through the loudly clattering window - _like the relentless 'pitter-patter' of a dripping sink;_ and, not one to be acquainted with patience, derisively pulled the window inward and locked the side pane, muffling the sound for good.

Grasping the silver-dyed fabric with a tearing force, she tightly drew the curtains in, before making her way toward the edge of her queen-sized bed.

Practically throwing herself onto the edge of the bed, Hime could hardly hear the soft creak of the mattress beneath her weight, as she focused deeply on the pervading question.

' _Why am **I** even here?'_

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Ardent emerald, darkened by the shadows looming over the corners of the room - _and the deepest parts of his thoughts -_ scrutinized the blonde as she pattered from one end of the room to the other, flopping unceremoniously onto the edge of her soft bed; disdain written plainly across her pretty face.

Taking notice that the annoyance so _clearly_ written in her eyes was being direction - specifically - at him, Akumu merely rebuffed the sentiment with a muttered curse. Moving his arms from the back of his head toward the front of his chest, he emphasized his own displeasure of the current situation.

' _Why the hell,'_ he furrowed his brows, ' _Did Kaname-nii have to bring us here in the first place? And like-!'_

Wincing, he felt a searing sting suffuse his right ear.

Tenderly rubbing the reddened lobe of swollen flesh with the pads of his fingertips, Akumu could still feel the slightly throbbing burn from the tender flesh shoot through him; making him flinch every time his cool skin touched the cartilage of his wrenched ear.

Turning away from the accusing aquamarine, Akumu warily eyed his older brother; who, distracted by his own thoughts, failed to see the caution in his brother's stare.

Stray locks of reddish-brown hair, gleaming like rustic copper beneath the light of the candelabra, was constantly pushed back into a slick hairdo from the sheer stress he was under. Discomposure filled every part of the genius' stoic mask; and, oblivious to it all, openly displayed the heavy thoughts that wreaked havoc within his burdened mind.

"Kanam-..."

In vain, Akumu felt his brother's name fail to escape his lips as, after noting the storm pooling behind brooding actinolite; had been rendered speechless within the expanse of a second.

Never, in all their time together, had he ever seen Kaname - his _'perfect'_ older brother - look so...so...

' _Afraid...'_ he thought, despite himself.

Downcast, the second son could do nothing more than clench his teeth in self-recrimination, his fists trembling beside him from the sheer pressure; causing crescent-shaped indents on the skin of his palms.

He knew...He well knew he had screwed things up for his siblings...for his _Nee-chan_ , but...but someone had to have done something then!

' _If I didn't then Nee-chan wouldn't have-...I just-...I had to-...!'_

But the truth of the matter was - _what was done was done_; and there was no way he could ever fix what he had _caused_.

Not _now_...

and certainly not _then_.

With an aggrieved sigh escaping the innermost part of his soul, Akumu slumped in his position; and vaguely reminisced on what had transpired earlier.

Downstairs.

 _ **-sov-**_

 _Eldrich creaks softly echoed across the sepulchral silence inhabiting the living room, as the dhampyr children cautiously descended the steps of the stairs toward the - subtly nonplussed - crowd, awaiting an explanation for the previous demonstration, below._

 _With the vicious intensity of heated scrutiny upon them, tension - thicker than butter and more viscous than honey, but without the gentle taste of either - quickly enveloped them in its suffocating hold._

 _Even then... **this** \- judging glare - if it could even be called that, was far more welcoming than their brother's piercing glower. _

_From the moment that Akumu had invoked his ability before the eyes of a curious crowd, Kaname had felt himself sweat bullets then and there, but refused to show it to anyone. Least of all Regina, who was already in a mental breakdown of her own._

 _"It's going to be okay," he reassured her, before excusing himself from her side and locking his gaze with that of the darker shade of his brother's._

 _Not passing Hime's eyes unperceived, she saw the moment that erratic fear replaced itself with irascible wrath within Kaname, as he made his way toward them in a swift - but steady - gait; never once looking away from the boy beside her._

 _'Akumu' both thought, with different emotions behind the uttered name._

 _Obviously nervous, but unwilling to let it be exposed, Akumu watched Kaname walk toward them - **him** \- like a ravenous animal ready to tear apart his own kin. _

_"Nii-chama!"_

 _Startled by the sudden outcry that broke apart the oppressing storm surrounding the three, Hime released the little girl from her arms, placing her onto the ground as she irradiated glee to seeing her brother safe and sound._

 _Sweet, innocent little Luna - unaware of her beloved brother's currently fizzling temperament - ran toward him with open arms; to which the latter mechanically moved, so as to lift her into an embrace of his own._

 _"Are you okay, Nii-chama?" she asked, ruby orbs pooling from the deep concern over his well-being._

 _Placing a gentle kiss on her temple, Kaname murmured an, "I'm fine, Luna," before making sure to communicate to his ignorant brother that his current affection toward the youngest was not, in any way, going to save him from the trouble he would soon find himself in._

 _Hime felt a chill run down her spine._

 _Akumu mentally shuddered._

 _"Luna," Placing her back on the ground, Kaname gently coaxed the platinum-blonde onto the direction of the couch; where Regina, Luka, and Kanato sat. "Go and sit with Nee-chan, okay?"_

 _"Hai, Nii-chama!"_

 _Nodding excitedly, she ran toward Regina, who beckoned her over with open arms and a warm smile to her pale demeanor._ _However, in her eagerness to reach the safe haven of her sister's embrace, the child's tunnel vision made her blissfully unaware of the red eyes that followed her every movement; with a candor beneath a predatory glare that resembled an emotion long lost to its owner._

 _'crash!'_

 _"Ouchie!" Luna shrieked._

 _Within a moment of sentimental subconsciousness, Subaru - the youngest vampire Prince - inadvertently moved toward the child; and, without intending to, blocked the girl's path in the process._

 _Luna, focused on no one but her sister, only managed to notice the black jeans near her when she was already face-planted against them._

 _Recoiling from the suddenness of it all, Luna glanced upward at the handsome towering male (who stood there, as equally frozen as she)_ before cowering in place.

 _She had accidentally bumped into **his** legs._

 _Into the one person she least wanted to see._

 _"Oi-..."_

 _But Subaru's attempted apology died in his throat as he watched the child - his own daughter - make a mad dash around him, moving with such swiftness that it took a while for the seated brothers to register that it wasn't a ghost that had ran past them; as she tried to reach Regina through the **other** end of the couch._

 _Nevertheless, i_ _n her attempt to avoid her Father, altogether, Luna failed to notice Kanato's foot - which had been propped atop his knee so as to better adjust the toddler in his lap - until it was too late._

 _"Luna!" Regina jumped from her seat, reaching out to stop her sister from face-planting against the ground, until she noticed the slender arm that had quickly extended itself toward the little girl._

 _And much to the surprise of the congregated group surrounding them, Kanato - reacting on the same paternal instinct that he had used to cushion Luka's fall and save Regina from Teddy - rapidly held onto Luna's arm before she became acquainted with the floor; earning himself a ferocious scowl from none other than his own younger brother._

 _Luka, releasing his Father's hand for a brief moment, stretched out his little arms toward his sister in worry; as if asking her if she was alright._

 _Luna, surprised but otherwise happily unharmed, quickly assured her brother that she was okay. Once regained footing on the ground, Luna turned to her mauve-eyed Uncle and bowed in deep gratitude._

 _"Thank you, Ji-chama!"_

 _Kanato merely grunted, as if indifferent to the little girl's appreciation, without realizing he had now become a subject of much admiration from his little niece; and much harbored hatred from one particular white-haired vampire, who was slumped into the farthest wall with his arms furiously crossed against his chest._

 _Meanwhile, throughout the youngest's ordeal, the strain enclosing the three distant children had managed to somewhat intensify; and, though not endowed with Luna's inherent ability, both blonde and redhead knew well that Kaname, their often reserved brother, was baring out his fangs to the world in that single heated glare._

 _Yet, in Kaname's defense, the anger he felt was nowhere near what his eyes foretold._

 _His face, a mask of indifferent civility before the eyes of a prying crowd, perfectly hid the angry howls of a riled beast - barred - within an iron cage._

 _With a rampant aura that swirled about him in a path of destruction, he approached his siblings step, by meticulous, step; inhaling deeply through his nose, like a bull seeing red, while abstaining from face-palming himself..._

 _...and slapping the living daylights out of his brother!_

 _What Akumu had done only served to destroy any chance they had of discreetly straying the conversation away from **that** topic, without arousing the suspicion of the vampires behind him._

 _'_ _Especially...'_

 _Kaname discreetly glanced to the side, where his raven-haired Uncle continuously looked their way from the corner of his bespectacled gaze._

 _'The most observant one of them all!" he sighed, sensing an incoming headache appear._

 _"Akumu, have you no-...!"_

 _A feminine squeal interrupted Kaname's reprimand, as he watched a yellow streak of golden hair flash behind Akumu; and reach the lethargic blonde yawning on the couch a few feet away from them._

 _And, as if unaware of the many questioning gazes surrounding her, Hime - ignoring her brother's current state of anger and the severity of the situation - fangirled before the eldest vampire prince; her hands sweetly clasped in front of her chest, as stars practically twinkled within aquamarine orbs._

 _"Daddy! What a surprise to see you here!"_

 _Staring at her through sleepy, half-lidded eyes, Shu simply turned away - openly raising the volume of his earphones - so as to drown out any form of disruptive noise; and though the action would have put off **anyone** (even to the point of upsetting the two brothers over seeing their flamboyant sister dismissed in such a manner) Hime had never been one to give up on what she wanted until obtaining it. _

_And her Father's attention was such a thing._

 _Without further word, Hime brazenly scooched herself beside her Father, practically pushing Laito off the couch - who could only stare at her in surprise - as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's arm; resting her cheek against his shoulder as if claiming her possession over him._

 _Sensing the snake-like grasp on his arm that - had he any living heart - would certainly have cut off all form of circulation in his body, Shu torpidly opened a bright blue eye and stared down at the blonde holding onto him, like a Koala bear holding onto a tree._

 _"Do you like my new braid, Daddy? Nee-sama made it for me! I look extremely beautiful, don't you think so? Of course you do! I'm practically your carbon copy! Anyone would be jealous of how good-looking we are!"_

 _Loudly sighing, Shu muttered a soft, 'troublesome girl from a troublesome woman', before turning away yet again; not bothering to move his arm, or push the girl away._

 _Hime, not minding his apathetic behavior in the least, continued to hold onto him; much to the chagrin of her brothers._

 _'Traitor,' Akumu scowled, watching his sister get all 'comfy' with his sloth of an uncle._

 _'Hime-nee...'_ _Kaname shook his head, visibly disappointed in her actions._

 _"Ahem," Reiji interrupted, beckoning the attention of all those in the room to get the situation back on track. "As was previously discussed. The powers you all possess, which you've certainly demonstrated us," he glanced over at Akumu, who did nothing more than watch his brother take a stand beside him and face Reiji, "Is it possible to assume that your abilities can control the element within your reach?"_

 _"Leave this to me." Akumu heard Kaname whisper behind him, as he discreetly grasped the boy's arm, tightly. "Don't you dare say a word-..."_

 _"Obviously not, though you're not all **that** wrong." Hime answered from the other end of the living room._

 _Speechless, Kaname could do no more than gape at Hime's indiscretion._

 _" **I** didn't say anything," Akumu muttered back, using his brother's current state of shock to free himself from the grip he had on him, before making his way toward Regina; who, though seemingly alright, appeared somewhat paler than usual._

 _"Are you okay, Nee-chan?" he asked as he watched Luna sit next to Kanato, while playing some sort of hand game with Luka._

 _Regina nodded softly. "I think...I'm just tired, is all."_

 _Understandingly, Akumu wrapped his arm around her waist and lay his head against her shoulder, feeling her cool hand brush his red locks softly._

 _Leave it to Regina to somehow soothe his distressed heart, when he should be the one reassuring her._

 _Taking a deep breath, Akumu grabbed her hand in his and looked over at his 'four-eyed Uncle'; as the man - with an authoritative tone about him - ordered Hime to elaborate on her given answer._

 _Facing her 'directly-related' Uncle, she shamelessly rolled her eyes, much to the chagrin of said man, as she twirled her finger upward; creating a little ring of ice that floated in mid-air. She managed to hold it for a few seconds before it 'poof-ed' all around her into trillions of little snowflakes; incidentally covering her and her father with specks of snow._

 _Placing his thumb beneath his chin and an index finger against his lips, Reiji analyzed the girl's powers before smiling - more to himself than to what he had witness. "So you can manifest the element as well."_

 _Hime nodded, proud of herself for presenting something more 'eye-catching' than Akumu's simple parlor trick._

 _"Eh~ So you can make snow?" Laito questioned, leaning in toward Hime as he noticed the snow twinkling above her head. "How about some ice cream? I've been craving some lately~"_

 _"Is that it?" Kanato questioned._

 _"It's not snow!" she rolled her eyes again, standing up from her seat and looking at both her uncles in disdain. "It's ice!"_

 _"Heh," Ayato scoffed, "Seems to me like such a stupid power to have."_

 _Subaru, still standing against the corner of the room, remained completely silent from any opinion. His attention was solely focused on the smiling girl gleefully playing with her baby brother._

 _Pouting and stomping her foot, Hime turned to face the ever indifferent Shu with a huff._

 _"What do you think, Daddy?"_

 _Now it was Shu's turn to roll his eyes as he rested his cheek against the palm of his hand._

 _So much for listening to his music in peace._

 _"Is that really all you can do?"_

 _Hime, excited about Shu's apparent interest, completely forgot about her Uncles' previous jibes. "I can freeze a lot of things!"_

 _"Can you freeze time?"_

 _"Um..." she thought deeply about it. The most she could do was freeze a clock, but that was about it._

 _Shu vaguely smirked as he watched her fumble from the corner of his eyes, but was quick to cover the half-smile behind his palm._

 _"Call me when you do, **then** I'll be impressed." _

_"Really?!"_

 _"Hn..." Shu's ostensible attention, though short-lived, had kindled a light of hope within Hime that maybe earning her Father's love wasn't all that distant in the future; though her Uncles didn't think seem to think so._

 _"Why would you need to freeze time, Shu~?" Laito asked, intrigued._

 _"So I can sleep longer..." the blonde yawned, closing his eyes and drifting into a light sleep._

 _"Good-for-nothing," Reiji muttered beneath his breath as he turned away from the lethargic male; and toward the sable-haired girl being hugged by her red-haired brother. "What of your powers, Reg-?"_

 _"Luna," Kaname interceded, before Reiji finished his question, "Luna's power varies from the rest of ours. But you could say its almost equal to my own."_

 _"Why's that?" Subaru had asked, but - once noticing his brothers' inquiring gazes on him - was quick to change the tone of his voice, "I mean, is she dangerous like Kanato's kid?"_

 _"You leave Luka out of this!" Kanato stood up, still holding onto the toddler; who was none the wiser of the things that were happening around him._

 _"Why? You've grown all soft all of a sudden?" Ayato goaded , though his gaze never once left that of his own son; who returned his stare with a glare._

 _"Of course not! But he's mine!"_

 _"Aw~ wook at wittle Kanato holding his baby!" Laito taunted, causing his brother to flush furiously._

 _"Cut it out!"_

 _"Enough!" Reiji yelled, beyond angered of the incessant disruptions. "Must I throw you all out until I discern the rest of their abilities?"_

 _Once the room grew silent, Reiji faced Kaname. "Proceed."_

 _"Luna's ability allows her to read into a person's heart; and no, Uncle Subaru, she does not pose any danger to anyone."_

 _Subaru simply 'tsk-ed' at the response. Nevertheless, he never once looked away from Luna's direction, causing Regina to notice the warmth that pooled within his eyes._

 _Perhaps, they had been quick to misjudge the man's inner heart with his outer character._

 _'Mother was right,' she thought, solemnly, ' there's more to them all than what meets the eye.'_

 _"Bo~ring!" Ayato howled, reclining his head back on the seat._

 _"Ayato," Reiji chastised, "One more word out of you and I'll throw you out, are we clear?"_

 _"Hmph, you think you can kick out ore-sama?" Ayato cocked an eyebrow, as if challenging Reiji to do his worst._

 _The sophisticated prince simply arranged his glasses against the bridge of his nose, and added with a glare of his own, "Comport yourself, Ayato. This is neither the time, nor the place, for one of your little games. Now," he turned back to Kaname, "you were saying that the child can see into a person's heart. Is it similar in the way that you see into their memories?"_

 _"No. She has to touch the person to be able to read what lies within them, but - just like Luka - she is still too young to control it."_

 _He inwardly hoped that that was enough to satiate his Uncle's thirst for answers._

 _"I see." he arched a brow, and looked back at Regina._

 _Nevermind._

 _"Then-"_

 _"Wait a minute," Akumu was quick to jump from his seat, "What do you mean by Luka's power, Kaname-nii? Last I checked, Luka doesn't have any powers."_

 _"Now that you mention it," Hime added, equally confused, "Why is Luka sitting with Uncle Kanato and not Nee-sama?"_

 _Kaname internally sighed; annoyed, but - nevertheless - grateful that the topic had been diverted from its current course._

 _"Luka awakened his powers today. We just discovered them about a few minutes before you all got here."_

 _"Really?" Hime asked._

 _"Yeah."_

 _"What is it?" Akumu glanced over at the toddler in his Uncle's arms._

 _"I don't know what it is 'exactly', but..." Kaname looked at Luka as well, "He somehow was able to give life to Uncle Kanato's Teddy and...restrain him, too."_

 _"Are you serious?" Hime asked, eyes widened in awe as she glanced at her brother._

 _Who continued to be blissfully unaware of the attention he had, unknowingly, grasped._

 _"Where's the bear now?" Akumu asked._

 _"He was locked up and taken away."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because it tried to kill us, that's why." Ayato, interfering in the brothers' conversation, responded._

 _"I'm surprised it didn't succeed." The boy bit back._

 _"Akumu-kun!" Regina gasped, tugging on his pajama, as if beckoning him to take a seat before the already tense situation worsened for both Father and Son._

 _"Heh," The red-haired prince smirked, "You got a bone to pick with me?"_

 _"You hurt my Nee-chan! I'll never forgive you for that!"_

 _"Ore-sama wasn't asking for your forgiveness, you brat." The older of the two crossed his arms against his chest, visibly annoyed._

 _"Don't call me a brat!" he yelled._

 _His brothers and sisters could only stare at the ruffled boy verbally fight with his equally rattled father._

 _"I can call you whatever I want. This is my house, therefore my rules. You should be grateful to ore-sama for even letting you stay here."_

 _"Oh, really? Then let me show you my gratitude right now, Oyaji*!"_

 _Heat surged from his right palm, causing the clenched fist to glow a sizzling red._

 _Afraid that her brother could harm himself and his Father, Regina quickly placed a hand against his back. Softly rubbing the muscle between the nape of his neck and shoulder blade, she quietly begged him to stop. "Please, Akumu-kun. Don't fight with Uncle Ayato for my sake. I really am okay. What happened before was just a misunderstanding. Do it for me, ne*?"_

 _Akumu's glowing emerald glanced back and his sister; and, seeing her eyes searching his own to reassure herself that he would not fight with his Father, released a withheld sigh and unclenched his fist. Letting the steam in his hand dissipate before embracing her._

 _"I'm sorry..." he shook, leaving the rest of the room stunned by the boy's quick change of temper. "I did it again, didn't I?"_

 _"No," she assured him with a kiss on his temple, "Not at all. You stopped when I asked you to. That's proof enough for me, Akumu-kun."_

 _"I see the boy resembles you more and more. Right, Ayato~?" Laito snickered._

 _"Hmph. Whatever."_

 _Ignoring his reprehensible brothers, and taking this opportunity to approach his daughter, Reiji was finally able to ask the question he had most wanted an answer to._

 _Much to the chagrin of the actinolite-eyed boy._

 _"What of your power, Regina? What is your ability?"_

 _Akumu sensed the moment that Regina's body went rigid in his embrace. With a slight tremor about her, he gently coaxed her to sit down before carefully mouthing an 'I'll take care of this' - while turning to face his stoic faced Uncle._

 _"Nee-sama is-!"_

 _"Nee-san's actually-!"_

 _But both siblings found themselves silenced by Akumu, as he cockily stated, "You just saw it for yourself, didn't you?"_

 _"Did I, now?" Reiji arched a brow, not at all liking the boy's condescending attitude. "And, pray tell, when was this?"_

 _"A few seconds ago, actually. You really didn't see?" The boy scoffed, "Those glasses must be for show then."_

 _He could vaguely hear his Father snickering in the background along the other brothers._

 _"What is it then?"_

 _"She stopped my powers from getting out of control."_

 _Akumu could practically feel the wide eyed stares of his siblings boring a hole through him._

 _"Is that so?"_

 _"Yeah, it is." With a shrug, the red-haired boy turned back to his sister and offered his hand to her. Lifting her from her seat, he wrapped a protective arm around her lithe waist and beckoned her to walk toward the exit. "May not be much to a high class vampire like yourself. But she's essential to all of us in every way. Nee-chan...Nee-chan is the most special one of us all."_

 _Looking over at Regina, Reiji noticed the openness of her morganite gaze resemble her mother's._

 _That same, fiendish woman that had betrayed them long ago._

 _He averted his eyes, not realizing that in doing so, he had inadvertently rejected Regina; who felt torn between what was said and what was real._

 _Looking away as well, Regina sniffed back incoming tears without letting herself be noticed by her siblings or her Uncles._

 _"Is that all you wanted to know from us?" Akumu almost barked back, having heard the muted sniffling from his sister._

 _"Yes. I believe that for now, we have - more or less - a better understanding of what your abilities are. The rest can be assessed at a later date."_

 _"May we be excused, then?" Kaname hastily asked._

 _"You may."_

 _And with that said, Reiji, Shu, Ayato, and Laito disappeared in the blink of an eye. Subaru, still and silent as a statue, continued to stand on his corner; watching as Luna esteemed Kanato, while the older man continued to play with Luka._

 _Regina, noticing that the only ones left in the room had been her two uncles and the rest of her siblings, silently traipsed toward the door, before she felt a hand pull her back. Turning around, crystalline morganite met with worried emerald._

 _"Nee-chan..."  
_

 _"I'm..." she softly spoke. He could see her lower lip quivering, but she quickly bit it. "I'm going to clean up the mess in the kitchen."_

 _"But...Nee-chan..."_

 _Releasing her hand from his, he watched her disappear within the darkness of the hall._

 _Shaking his head, he was about to follow after her when - out of nowhere - a stinging pinch grabbed a hold of his earlobe and pulled him to the nearest room, while commanding the upset blonde (who was wondering where her Daddy had run off to) to follow him as well._

 _ **-sov-**_

After silence had inhabited majority of the night, except for the scuffling of feet brushing against the pearl-colored carpet, Hime - finally up to her wits end with all the tension - broke the stillness with an outburst of her own.

"Would you please sit down and tell us what's going on? Your pacing is making me nervous!"

In a whiplash, both blonde and red-haired siblings head a sharp sigh escape their brother as he faced them with a visage that - had they been attending a _Setsubun_ * festival - would've put any _Oni*_ mask to shame.

"Do you think this is a joke, Hime- _nee_?" He approached them with the same violent intent as earlier. "Do you think that what the both of you have done is anything to be applauded at? To be commended? Don't you see? What you two did downstairs not only put our chance at normalcy at risk, but also endangered the life of the person most important to us!" Taking a deep, bated breath, he questioned through gritted teeth and a piercing glare, "Explain to me what the hell ran through you minds earlier. What were the two of you thinking?!"

Hime was the first to react. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?" Stomping an indignant foot against the ground, she continued, "We were worried for the three of you! If you had woken up, and the first thing you saw was a half-empty bed, wouldn't _you_ go out to look for us? What else were we to do _but_ go and look for the three of you-?!"

She suddenly stopped her outburst.

If looks could kill, she would've been six feet under by now.

It was painfully obvious that the copper-haired boy was in no mood to withstand the blonde's banter at this point.

"Kaname- _nii_ ," Akumu approached him, his arms resting precariously behind his head, as if unaware of his brother's current ailment. "We were just-"

He should've known to keep his mouth shut. If the tension in the room was anything to go by.

"What were you trying to pull out there, Akumu?" Kaname's voice was bitter to the ear.

Masking the pain he felt by his brother's obvious distrust in him, the redhead's response was answered in the same detached and indifferent manner he had previously showcased. Though, Hime could tell he was trying really hard not to upset his brother further.

"They wanted to know what our powers were. I just showed 'em a little trick, is all."

"A trick?" Kaname questioned, flabbergasted. "A trick?! Is this some kind of game to you?!"

"No, I-"

"When will you ever take things seriously?!"

Emerald stared deeply into actinolite, before frowning and turning away.

To add to the copperhead's dilemma, his redhead brother simply shrugged his shoulders, as if nonchalant about their current predicament.

"Akumu! Do you know even know what you've gotten us into?" but the hand that was intent on gripping the boy's shoulder was immediately cast away by a vehement tug of the arm.

"Maybe not," he responded, "but I know what I got us out of."

"What?"

Akumu inhaled deeply through his nose, "What were _you_ planning to tell four-eyes, Kaname-nii? That _Nee-chan_ couldn't use her powers because it was raining? That's priceless." There was an evident tone of sarcasm in his voice as he continued. "Oh wait. Knowing you you'd probably say something along the lines of, 'she can't use her powers because of an illness that was passed down through our mother's side.' Of course, you'd always rely on a 'reasonable answer', am I right?"

Kaname clenched his fist.

Hime gasped, horrified.

"How the hell will you explain to them, then, when _Nee-chan_ starts to grow? Huh? Explain _that_ one to me, Kaname- _nii_."

"Watch your mouth, Akumu." Kaname warned, pointing at him.

"Akumu, shut up." Hime begged.

"No," Akumu fought, "I'm tired of you guys always casting the blame on me! You," he pointed accusingly at his older siblings, "The two of you. You don't even give a crap about _Nee-chan_."

"That's a lie!" she defended.

"As if!" he scoffed, "The first thing you did when we were downstairs is run to you lazy ass dad! You didn't even bother to see _Nee-chan_ at all!"

The boy was obviously riled, but - in comparison to the anger that manifested before his Father - this situation was different.

It wasn't anger that he felt, though he was no less discomposed about the situation.

The copperhead's unvoiced ire, which had been fervently contained within clenched teeth up until now, reflected at full force through dimmed actinolite in a moment of blind rage.

Suddenly, a loud ' _slap'_ echoed across the room, and Akumu found himself staring at the wall opposite of the door, reddened mark stinging slightly against semi-tanned skin.

"Kaname!" Hime cried out, hand immediately covering her mouth in shock.

"Don't you dare say that I don't care for _Nee-san_ _!"_ Kaname chastised, ignoring Hime's reaction, "Don't you dare say that again! I'm the one that has to put more into protecting this family than either one of you!"

Akumu raised his hand to touch his face.

The sting against his cheek was greatly diminished, when compared to the sting in his heart.

"I care about _Nee-sama_ as well!" Hime fought, brushing the tears from her eyes. "I love her. She's my only big sister. How can you accuse me of not caring for her at all?"

"Now's not the time, Hime-..."

"If you two _did_ care for _Nee-chan_ ," Akumu softly spoke, "Why...Why then...haven't either one of you been able to fulfill her dream?"

Both eldest turned to face their brother.

"What _Nee-chan_ wants most in the world is to...to be accepted by Uncle Reiji...to be acknowledged by him," he made a motion to walk out the door. "Even if a lie...I wanted to give her that."

"Your lie will only cause her further suffering when they _do_ find out!" Kaname answered, pained at finally seeing his brother's point of view on the matter of his actions.

"Maybe. But," Akumu grabbed the handle of the door, "The least I could do was give her more time."

Realization dawned on both of the eldest.

"After all, unlike us," he opened the door and left, "her time isn't eternal."

Both siblings stood within the room with regret plastered on their faces.

"Kaname," Hime asked, "Maybe...Maybe it was for the best...What Akumu did, I mean. Maybe-"

"Hime- _nee_ , you and I both know that's not how it will work. That's not how it will _ever_ work." The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would love it if we could keep lying throughout all this and make it seem that she is _one of us_ , but how - then - will we hide the truth from them when the day comes that _Nee-san_ looks more like our grandmother than our sister?"

She looked at him, a fresh set of tears escaping her.

"When they begin to notice her body change," he said, downcast, "What used to be a fresh youth one day, reduced to ash and dust the next...What then-?"

"Stop!" she pleaded, "Please, don't say anything anymore! I can't take it. The thought of _Nee-sama_ leaving us- No! I don't want to think of it!"

Kaname approached his crying sister and hugged her tightly. "It's a law of life, Hime- _nee_. None of us can stop it. Not even God himself."

"But...But why _Nee-sama_?" She cried. "Wasn't it enough taking _Okaa-sama_ away from us?!"

"Hime- _nee..._ " he frowned, pained by his sister's words. "It's inevitable."

"But, why, Kaname-kun? Why her? Why _my_ _Nee-sama_? What did our kind and benevolent sister ever do to deserve such a curse? Why did she have to be born...?" an incoming sob stopped her from finishing.

"a Human?" Her brother finished for her, finding it necessary that the word be said, making the girl embrace him further until she had her face buried in his neck. "No one cursed her, Hime- _nee_. Mother's genes simply passed on to her. If Uncle Reiji wasn't such a stiff about _perfection_ , and didn't look down so much on humans...maybe _Nee-san's_ wish would've been easier to fulfill. Even so..." his bangs covered his face for the briefest of moments. "It doesn't matter...It _shouldn't matter._ Even if she is a human, it won't make us love her any less. Right?"

Despairingly, she nodded; but still continued to pour her sorrows out onto the boy, who could do no more than brush his hand against her back and provide a semblance of emotional stability, even while his own heart shattered at the inexorable truth.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Locking the large wooden door behind him, with a tightly muffled ' _slam',_ the red-haired boy clenched his teeth; an almost audible ' _crackle'_ echoing within the dark cavern beneath tightly lined lips. A single, trembling fist gripped the brass knob with restrained force, before releasing the slightly dented object from his grasp.

Emerald eyes, set ablaze within the fine light that illuminated the black-maroon adorned bedroom, flickered angrily beneath the storm's persistent rays.

Ensuring that no one else accompanied him that stormy night within the four walls, he approached the edge of his red-linen bed and slammed his fist against the black-wood carved post; inadvertently causing the frame to mildly shake beneath the sudden force.

A pulsing heart beat.

A bated breath.

A low growl rumbling deep within his chest.

Emerald green shone brightly, like a warning signal, before he took a deep breath and diminished the color by will, allowing a small sizzling sound to escape his lips through a thin strip of smoke.

Mentally and emotionally exhausted, he threw himself against the center of the mattress and looked up at the darkened ceiling overhead; letting his clouded thoughts run rampant within him.

Closing his eyes to will away the leaden emotion weighing his chest, he felt a sudden - and very much _unwanted_ \- chill run through the back of his spine before washing over a wave of nausea through him. Sitting up, he quickly covered his mouth, willing back the bile that reached his throat before unrequested tears slid down his cheeks like the rainwater that slid down the windows.

An onslaught of memories hit him.

Unwanted memories.

Un _needed_ memories.

Memories that he had tried hard to forget.

From a scarred childhood that he wished had been forever buried in his past.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Emerald eyes observed - with shuddering trepidation - the men surrounding him.

 _The rays of the mid-day sun penetrated through the shattered windowsill of that old, dilapidated shed; the one he had always been warned about by the Old Man to never play in, for a reason he could no longer remember._ _Specks of golden light perforated through chipped wood - reaching his slightly tanned skin in the most minimal of streams._

 _However, even the slight comfort of the warm light on him - for as small as it was - could not heal the coldness within._

 _Not when everything around him seemed to be swallowed up in darkness._

 _And the darkness had soon become the least of his concerns._

 _He had feared their intentions, for it was clear to see - within those shadowed eyes and crooked grins - that their purpose there had not been for his own sake._

 _Nevertheless, the inherited pride he owned refused to succumb to the intimidation their scowls instilled._

 _Even if he **was** completely, and utterly alone. _

_**The echoing ring of the Chapel's bells began to toll from afar -  
marking in its symphonic grace,  
the first call of Evening Mass.**_

 _ **Fear** \- the one emotion he hated above all else - rushed through his veins like a cold jet stream; freezing every limb on the spot._

 _His body felt strangely heavy,_

 _His lungs oppressed._

 _All light around him became shrouded by the shadows of those idealistic men in their hallowed sable robes - their towering frames only fueling his indignation._

 _Pride suppressed the onslaught of emotions creeping into his weakened mind._

 _But it did not diminish them._

 _Regina's voice was distant, but he could clearly make out the worry in her tone  
as she continuously called his name.  
Father Komori was also with her, searching for him.  
But he could not call out to them.  
His voice remained lodged against his throat -  
lest it show his kidnappers the terror that became him at that very moment._

If, in an attempt to recollect what had happened that day, he had tried to ask himself just _how_ he ended up within that abandoned shed - away from the Chapel and the Convent - he would not be able to pinpoint the exact answer.

Or even come up with a good answer at all.

 _He had shown his siblings the power he possessed.  
_ _Had demonstrated the ability to manipulate a - both- feared and coveted element.  
_

 _His eldest brother had praised his awakening._

 _His second-eldest sister had crossed her arms in disapproval, huffing about how **her** power still exceeded his in many ways, but minutely proud that his gift had appeared within such a young age limit._

 _However, it was the person he sought the highest approval from the most, his beloved 'Nee-chan', who - rather than exalt his prowess - had pleaded with him not to showcase his power in front of anyone else._

With a confused nod, he had agreed.

 ** _How could he have known that their every move was being observed  
_** _ **by those that abhorred their existence?**_

 _A sharp cry had escaped his lips, when the rough - unforgiving straw - of a rope, coiled itself around his his small wrists and ankles - binding him to that forsaken place._

 _Five men, all dressed in black cassocks, scrutinized the boy from above their towering frames._

 _Their faces, which had been nothing more than expressionless voids, began to morph - like monsters of ancient lore - into masks of contempt and wicked interest; unbefitting their proclaimed sanctioned positions._

 _They laughed and muttered among themselves at his feeble, pathetic form, squirming beneath the strains of the rope - in growing alarm._

They had brought forth crosses,

and rosaries,

and bibles,

and even holy water.

 _Why were they doing this to him?  
_ _Why were they treating him as if he were no more than a demonic entity  
that needed to be exorcised?_

He was afraid.

 _Extremely afraid._

And that fear had frozen his body and his blood...

 _And yet,  
_ _the heat within could not be extinguished..._

 _It made him boil to be looked at in such a way._

 _To be observed,_

 _scrutinized,_

 _as if he were no more than a lab rat._

 _It was as if..._

 _As if he was no longer classified under the same race as everyone else!_

 _For, e_ _ven though born a dhampyr - in essence - he was still **human**..._

 _Wasn't he?_

 _ **The second toll of the Chapel's bell rung louder than the one before -  
**_ _ **beckoning to all  
**_ _ **the attention of those who were still dispersed  
**_ _ **from the word of God.**_

It had all remained a blur from that point forward.

 _He could no longer recall what was what anymore, as the sound of their voices began to ring louder than the beat of his frightened heart._

 _He could feel his body trembling against his will._

 _He could sense their mockery behind every scrutinizing gaze._

 _He could hear their curses and taunts - fueling the seething rage within._

 _They had shunned him in the worst possible way.  
_ _Denied him his God-given right  
_ \- _his **humanity** -  
as they insulted him;  
ridiculed the existence of his siblings and he,  
threw stones at him,  
and chanted their damned prayers.  
All because of the men they derived from,  
And the woman that bore them. _

_The humiliation did not stop._

 _They, the damned bastards, continued to mock his beaten form; spewing their chants and their salvation unto a young boy who had yet to reach his 8th birthday._

 _And as their voices continued to grow louder and louder._

 _His blood continued to boil further and further._

 _It was simply a second in time,  
but one that could never be forgotten._

 _Silence reigned for the briefest of moments,  
as the hideous sound of their distorted chants still echoed within the concealed room._

He broke out in cold sweat.

 _What happened next only served to prove that this so-called 'gift' he owned,_

 _was no more than a wicked curse._

 _ **The sound of the Chapel's final bell tolled in the distance  
**_ _ **\- its saccharine chime -  
** **muffling the agonizing screams beneath.**  
_

 _Frozen in horror, he watched as those who had once been **human** , lay sprawled around him - their bodies no more than charred weight - dragged by blackened limbs across the dilapidated wooden floor. _

_They screeched like pigs prepared for the slaughterhouse, but the strain of their vocal chords calling for help was all for naught - immediately silenced - by the woeful cry of the evening bells initiating Mass._

He hadn't meant to do it!

It hadn't been his intention!

 _ **But they just wouldn't stop!**_

 _The repugnant stench of seared flesh had infiltrated his nostrils. Its sickening odor pervading within his lungs like heavy smog, throwing him into a fit of coughs._

 _An arm, boiled like a lobster's reddened shell, reached out toward him - its bubbling skin melting like candle wax; but before it could grab a hold of him, it sizzled to a stop, instantly turning to ash before his very eyes._

 _Glowing **Emerald** watched the entire ordeal with knots in his stomach, and bile in his throat. _

It had all been because of them!

They deserved it all for what they had done!

 ** _For what they had said!_**

And yet...

In claiming the blame upon those _things_ that no longer appeared to be human - his own was beginning to emerge in the most abhorrent of ways.

 _And it smiled back at him in the form of an egregious **sin.**_

 ** _'I'm so...'  
_** _His voice was a hoarse whisper,  
_ _affected by the bile and smog,  
_ _as he muffled a sob behind trembling hands,_ ** _  
_** ** _'I'm so sorry!_**

 _The tears he had refused to release just moments prior, now easily slid down his heated cheeks, shriveling like the skin of their bodies within the blazing inferno surrounding him._

 _Yet, the scorching temperatures did nothing to him._

 _After all..._

 **It was _he_ who had summoned the _Flames_ _of Purgatory_.**

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**

 _ **ice flowers**_ \- window frost

 _ **Oyaji -**_ "Old Man/Father" in Japanese

 _ **Ne -** "_Okay/Right?" in Japanese

 _ **Setsubun -**_ "Bean Throwing Festival"; although, in Japanese it literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called _Risshun_ celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival.

 _ **Oni -**_ "Demon" in Japanese


	10. Requiem of the Queen

_**Thank you all for your interest in T-M-T-E-T-S and the reviews you have all left.**_

 _ **It is both an honor and a privilege to have this story, which was initially intended as a 'practice dummy' (meaning: I had only written it as a means of diverging from the usual genre I write) - to have caught your delight!**_

 _ **Lots of love your way.**_

 _ **This chapter will be short and sweet while I prepare the upcoming one.**_

 **Enjoy.**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter VIII

 _ **Requiem of the Queen**_

Whipping against the glass of the double-hung windows adorning the beige-tiled scullery, the thrumming torrent's dogged pour echoed emphatically across the darkened, disorderly kitchenette, as its comfortless peal enhanced the cold emptiness within.

A flash of inbound lightning struck, flaring like a burst of light through the crystalline windows; and illuminating - for the briefest of seconds - the solemn figure that stood absently in the corner of the desolate room, leaning her tremulous body onto the brass tainted sink for, both physical and emotional, support.

Filling the metallic basin with soap and water, Regina carefully submerged the sullied dishes within it, delicately sponging their white bone china back to its impeccable condition, before assembling the last set of plates along the drying rack beside her.

Each movement made from her graceful limbs, appeared to be almost _mechanical_ in motion, as she continued to go about every precipice of the kitchenware and appliances that lay around her. Turning toward the batter-splattered counter behind her, she diligently cleaned the residual mix that had dried against the tiles, before kneeling onto the ground - with the same robotic gestures as earlier - to wipe away the scattered remnants.

Pensively, she bore her phlegmatic gaze onto the floor. Her hands, never once, stopping in their task.

The stillness that enveloped her being resembled that of a porcelain doll upon a glass shelf, crafted to be beauty incarnate.

Nevertheless, for all the beauty she unknowingly possessed, a tinge of somberness veiled her like a shadow shrouding a star; and the glass mask she persistently wore to hide the silently breaking heart, within, began to slowly chip away.

Reasoning had long since been led astray by the chaotic muddle of emotions swaying her heart, like a boat in the middle of a tempest, as it kept trying to make sense of what had previously transpired between her Uncles, her siblings, but most importantly...

...Her _Father._

 **" _What of your power, Regina? What is your ability?"_**

 _The accustomed weight in her chest had gotten ten times heavier than lead, as it suddenly dropped to the pit of her stomach in a moment of sheer terror. An unruly tension slowly ransacked every nerve in her body, surrendering her into a havoc of apprehensive distress that froze her in place; and, unable to manage much movement in its stationary condition, could only clutch helplessly at the fabric of her younger brother's pajamas._

 _And she knew Akumu was aware of this fact._

 _As he gently guided her toward the seat behind them, she vaguely noticed his lips move into - what appeared to be - an assurance, before he turned away from her and faced her Father with an equal grounded scowl._

 _Her wavering heart rang loudly against her eardrums. Loud enough, that it began to slowly drown out all the background noise around her; and, had she not noticed the obvious agitation in both Hime and Kaname - at the time - she surely would have missed their failed attempts at concealing the fact that she was a..._

Her hand suddenly stopped wiping the floor.

' _Okaa-sama,'_ she mutedly called out from the depths of her pained soul. ' _Okaa-sama...I promised...I promised you that, no matter what happened...I'd be brave...'_

Quickly lifting her hands toward her mouth, she contained the burning wails within, as they rose from the back of her throat like a volcano bubbling before an explosion.

' _That I would be_ _strong...'_

Clenching her teeth, the sound of her ivory molars pressing against one another rebounded off the walls.

' _And for their sake...I must not cry!_ _'_

 **" _Nee-sama is-!"_**

 ** _"Nee-san is actually-!"_**

 _But the silence overpowered the high-strung words with a vacuous sound louder than even the flowing blood in her veins, when Akumu - her supercilious, but gentle-hearted brother - told Reiji, her Father:_

 ** _"You just saw it for yourself, didn't you?"_**

 _She felt the air get vaccumed out of her lungs in that brief moment, as her blood froze in her veins._

Remorsefully, she realized that - for that short-lived second - she had assumed Akumu to be capable of directly divulging the truth she had so desperately wished **never** to reveal to anyone.

 _Least of all,_ her own Father!

But she was wrong.

So very wrong.

Lamenting the poison that had filled her heart then, she forced back the sobs that escaped her lips, muffling them behind nimble fingers fervently clasped together, as if in prayer.

Because, just as her siblings wished to live a life **free** from the discrimination of a vampire's existence. So, too, did she wish to live a life that didn't blatantly expose the difference between them, like oil over water.

 ** _"Did I, now?"_** _Had been her Father's incredulous response, as she watched him arch a brow in noticeable scrutiny_ ** _. "And pray tell, when was this?"_**

 **" _A few seconds ago, actually. You really didn't see?"_** _Akumu had scoffed, as if making fun of Reiji's lack of attention, which the older male apparently disliked._ ** _"Those glasses must be for show then."_**

 _A sharp, stinging pain shot through her chest as she raised a quivering fist toward it, grasping the robe that covered her partial nudity._

' _Akumu-kun...'_

What had been in his mind - in his heart - she wondered, when he added what followed next?

 ** _"What is it then?"_**

 ** _"She stopped my powers from getting out of control."_**

 _Silence had encased the room almost immediately, as incredulity filled the eyes of her other siblings over what had been confessed._

 _Akumu._

 _Her younger brother..._

 _The most forthright person she knew..._

 _Had **lied**._

Lifting herself off the floor rather feebly, she glanced at the dread-painted world through the crystalline glass, with a sadness about her that knew no refuge.

 ** _"Is that so?"_**

 ** _"Yeah, it is."_**

With a soft, yet sad, smile she recalled the times that Father Komori had exposed his lies. Akumu was as transparent as pure water, and was obvious enough to wear his deception on his face, by quirking his lips in an almost impish sort of smile that - unbeknownst to the boy - made him conspicuous of what he so desperately tried to hide from the priest.

Akumu was never, _never,_ someone who could tell a lie while carrying such a straight face.

But, in this case, he had been resilient with his fabrication; and kept up the credible facet for the others to believe in his words.

And she had no one else but herself to blame for-...

A faint ' _clink'_ reached her ears.

Lifting a hand toward her alabaster cheeks, Regina could feel the warm liquid stain her fingertips as the fresh set of tears poured from her eyes, and slid onto the cold, tiled floor.

 ** _"May not be much to a high class vampire like yourself. But she's essential to all of us in every way. Nee-chan...Nee-chan is the most special one of us all."_**

 _And those words could never have rung louder than they did that one, single moment when - standing before her Father and Uncles - it was her younger brother who stood to defend her; and the wish she so dearly longed to make real._

 _She was happy._

 _Undeniably so._

 _To be treasured in such a way - admired - was the highest of praises for anyone to experience as she did that moment._

 _But just as she stood there, humbled by the acclamation and love her brother exalted unto the purebreds, so too did another half of her begin to perish beneath the pain of what she consistently tried to blind herself from._

Deep within, she could hear a muffled ' _crack'_.

And she knew.

She knew that the ' _crack'_ was none other than her own shattering heart, wrapped within a fallacious strength that was nothing more than a simple mirage.

An image.

An illusion.

A _lie._

Because the truth of it all was...

 _She wasn't strong at all._

An onslaught of fiercely contained sobs rose from the darkest parts of her broken soul - with a force greater than the rampaging storm outside - to vocalize its disconsolate aria. Not wanting to capture the attention of those that lived in the manor, she harshly covered her mouth; muffling the suffocating wails that choked her lungs and blurred her eyes from the world around her.

Tears, left unrestrained by their disconsolate owner, ran across her cheeks and onto the floor, as the teenager poured her heart out onto the enveloping darkness that comfortingly hid her frailty from those around her.

It no longer mattered what she did. The truth of it all could not be changed.

This constant reminder that she was _not_ like her siblings, _not_ like her Uncles, and certainly _not_ like her beloved _Otou-sama_ would always and forever be engraved in stone; and with it, the truth that within this hierarchy of a supremacist race, she would always be no more than an outcast.

A sheep within a pack of wolves.

A prey that would, forevermore lay, within a world of _predators._

All because she was born from a _human_ mother. Her dearest Mother! The woman who had loved these men, and their children, more than anything in the whole wide world! Who gave her own _life_ to grant them _theirs!_

Through the memory of that wonderful woman, Regina had grown to accept the irrevocable truth about her own self. Her mother's warm kindness and unwavering courage, were what Regina aspired to reach the most.

And she believed that, by having accepted this humanity of hers she could... _would_ be-!

' _No!'_ she denied, shaking her head as her nails scraped against the wood of the cabinets she fiercely grasped.

It was more like she had _learned_ to accept it, and the weight that came along with it.

From the most feeble, weakened constitution that overcame her, to the ephemeral and limited lifespan that she feared would take her away from her siblings when they still needed her.

Because to her, there was nothing more frightening that knowing your imminent death would separate you from those you love.

Yet, despite that, she had persuaded herself to remain positive. If anything, for the sake of her siblings.

Because, even with her consistent growth that well stated their immortality against her own mortality, their Fathers' presence would be able to replace her own, someday.

Saddening, perhaps. But to her, that was all that mattered.

At least, that was all that _had_ mattered.

But what had been the point, then, of accepting herself - _of recognizing_ \- for once, her own mortality, when there was still a part of her that latched onto the bubble she enveloped herself in?

Roughly wiping the tears in her eyes, she tried to recompose herself, to no avail.

"I know," she softly confessed, amid the snivels mercilessly escaping her lips, "I know that I can't change who I am. I know that! So...So why is it that I still can't-?"

... _Accept it...?_

Deep within her, she knew the answer to the unfinished question.

Because, just like a human contained an insatiable greed within their heart, she too was an avaricious one.

She coveted, just like any other human, even if her greed was not a materialistic one.

And after the passing of her dearest mother, that yearning - _that wish_ \- only grew larger.

She longed for a single thing.

One _sole_ thing.

To be _loved_.

To be loved by the one, and only, parent she had left in this world.

And it was that hideously selfish part of her - that human avarice for affection - that began to show her to what extent she was capable of.

Even if it meant leaving the weight of her consequences for her siblings to carry.

Because she could've said something!

 _Should have_ said something!

Speak out above Akumu's lie! Tell her Father and Uncles that she had no powers! _Show_ them that she was nothing more than a simple, powerless human!

But she _didn't!_

As if giving a muted confession, she chose to keep the truth hidden from the eyes of her family; and let her brother handle it all.

Let him _lie..._ for _her sake._

Openly sobbing into the palms of her hands, Regina released all the sorrows that had been locked away for three long years.

And, as if aiding her mournful requiem, the torrential storm began to _crackle_ and _crash_ above the land, muffling the wails that continued to pour out of her bleeding heart.

* * *

 **Terms and Definitions**


	11. Teddy's Acrimony: Part I

**_I apologize for the lapse of time that has taken me to update this chapter._**

 _ **I'm currently assisting a dear cousin of mine with her fanfic works, but the real reason why this chapter took so long to update was because of Kanato. It's fairly difficult for me trying to get in touch with a character whose mood-swings can range on two different extremes, without looking like a babbling idiot in writing.**_

 _ **I do hope this made sense without going into OOC territory for Kanato.**_

 ** _Thank you for your constant support._**

 ** _Writing these stories for you, and reading your reviews in return, make it all worthwhile._**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter IX

 _ **Teddy's Acrimony: Part I**_

Resting his head against the wine-colored couch, Kanato felt his mind whirl chaotically toward the sentiment that had imbued his body earlier. The havoc that had once reigned supreme within the large living space, had since died off - leaving everything in a state of lugubrious silence. Making the room with 4, _feel_ almost empty.

Left unguarded with his thoughts, the immortal prince idly glanced down at the toddler sitting in his lap, innocently playing alongside his ruby-eyed sister.

There was a spark of interest shining behind mauve orbs as they watched the boy's every movement with intrigue; and, though obviously curious about this sudden attachment, the young father couldn't help but wonder what it was about him- _exactly_ \- that had, since their initial meeting, kept him at wits end.

If in the beginning of it all, he had been so sure - _confident, even -_ that he would **never** come to accept Luka as his own flesh and blood, why was it, then, that he now felt hesitant to continue believing so? After all, he was still dubious of how this came to be.

Six dhampyrs fathered by each one of the pureblooded brothers, and borne from a woman that had long since left their lives?

That definitely didn't make _any_ sense.

Because if it did, then how was it possible for them to be remotely related to one another if he didn't recall ever having taken Yui intimately?

' _I couldn't have_ _...'_ he stalled, furrowing his brow in evident confusion. ' _It's not possible that I...'_

Flashes of imagery filled his mind.

Ones that he had often considered as nothing more than a lucid dream.

 _Yui squirmed against him, writhing beneath the cataclysm of pain and pleasure morphed into one, from the passion that engulfed the two lovers in their embrace. Her creamy-white skin, so warm, so **alive** , burning within the fiery throes of their lust, 'neath his cold, frigid, touch proved every bit of the emotion he could evoke within her womanly attributes as she did to him. Laying his ear pressed against her heaving chest, he could practically taste the rush of saccharine blood, racing through every vein and every bloodstream that belonged to him, and solely him. _

Doubtful of that memory's contents, he had long since discarded the probability.

But the _possibility_ of it still stood.

That _had_ all been a dream...

 _Hadn't it?_

And once again, doubt reigned.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

He knew that it wasn't under any form of strict religious knowledge, for a man to understand what the sensation emitted from a bare flesh's caress meant, nor what, what followed obviously implied.

Just like any one of his brothers, he _too_ had had his fair share of lovers in the past; and, ultimately, when it came down to the long line of Sacrificial Brides the church prepared for them...

 _Well_...

It was safe to assume all the brothers knew of carnal pleasures and fervid passions at this point in their life.

And he was no stranger to that ancient bit of knowledge, despite what his brothers ardently believed.

He may not have been born with Reiji's _smarts,_ but that didn't mean he was down to the same level of stupidity as Subaru. Which made it all the more questionable for him that, in every intent to remember that night - and all pretenses he gave of it - whatever part of him that _knew_ the existence of his ' _inner-desires' (_ which had long since been left insatiable by the _one person_ whose memory **pained** him) **did not** heed to _any_ sort of recollection of having had _acted_ upon them. Leaving both his emotions, and his thoughts, to remain as riled and insubstantial as his proclaimed aversion for the boy in his lap.

Adamant of this, the pureblood violently shook his head. Fervently hoping that he could release himself from the grasp of this withstanding misery.

' _It's not like I could accept it.'_ His heart spoke aloud, ushering his thoughts before he could stop them, ' _Because it's still not possible that Luka is my son, even if I really want him to be-'_

Wait.

No!

It wasn't that he actually _wanted_ Luka to be his son!

No!

He didn't want it!

There was _no way_ he could!

To accept it so easily?

Lies!

He couldn't!

Not when there was every proof in the world to believe otherwise!

His frown furrowed deeper into his unearthly beauty.

Taking a moment to pause his thoughts after reaching a standstill verdict, Kanato tittered watching as Luka smiled at Luna's incessant babbling. Despite the half-smile trembling against his lower lip, the pureblood tried to reestablish the chaos of his mind to a _quasi-_ order, with no available success. During this moment of respite, however, the dithering male failed to notice the way his hand, which held onto the boy's small body, snaked around him before moving aimlessly atop the child's head, resting on Luka's crown, fondly; that is, until he felt the soft strands of violet mane entangle between his long, slender fingers.

Stopping mid-movement, he retracted his hand almost immediately, as though scalded by the action.

Luka, though none the wiser of his father's gentle - and mostly quick - affection, did notice the somberness clouding the older male's mauve gaze as he looked up in visible curiosity.

It was as though he were questioning everything. Including himself.

And true to it, Kanato _was_ questioning himself.

His beliefs and lack thereof.

If he really wanted nothing to do with Luka, or his parental _droit*_ , then surely there wasn't any reason as to why he should be feeling the exact _opposite_ of it, right?

But then... if that were _really_ the case, why had he defended the boy so fervently against his own brothers _if_ he truly felt no attachment or connection to him whatsoever?

Contemplative gaze set itself upon the bouts of light that flashed precariously against the coffered ceiling, decorated in gold and red, above them.

He drew a heavy breath from his lips.

Nothing made sense anymore. Not now, and certainly not since the day she left.

And rendered to a complete loss of _what_ to feel at this point, Kanato direly realized there was nothing left sustaining him ( _mentally and emotionally_ ), but that same paternal sentiment, which he persistently denied.

Because it was his denial that acted as a shield against the sentiment he abhorred.

The sentiment he wanted no part of.

The sentiment known as ' _love'._

But every shield has a breaking point, and _his_ was quickly cracking beneath the weight of suppressed emotions; and, growing a will of its own, it stood against all he had initially believed in.

Nagging at him relentlessly.

Pleading with him insufferably.

About a single most truth he had chosen to turn his back to since the start of this night.

' _No. No. No! This can't be...I couldn't have...I'm not...'_ but his mind could no longer differentiate the fine line between what had always been real and all that he constantly _rejected_ as reality.

And when his highly rattled emotions had finally calmed down to a considerable point, Kanato's mind began to deliberate on his past thoughts, and current grievances, once again.

He had wanted, arduously, to fight off this cursed emotion.

To spurn it from his sight and side.

But when the end game was reached, his defeat had been eminent; and his endeavors, for naught.

Because he had foolishly fallen deep into its chasm.

So what had been the point of his tenacity? Of his denial? Of everything? If his own body betrayed his will?!

That cruel and unwelcome emotion had already crept up to him, while his back was turned, and in his moment of vulnerability, clung to him almost desperately with a looming need, and a mawkish necessity, that urged him to keep the boy at his side, always.

Protecting him as his child.

 _Accepting_ him as **his** son.

Bizarre, though it was, it felt empowering.

A little _too_ empowering, if he were honest.

It filled him with a possessiveness that - _though well known in his everyday life -_ felt relatively new, when placed within these sorts of circumstances.

It was nothing like the sense of sight, smell, taste, sound, or sight.

No.

This, by far, felt more like an instinct than a sense.

A _primal_ sort of instinct, that no one could abstain from.

And it made him feel crudely _Animalistic._

Shuddering at the thought, he felt a rush of emotions overbear his frigid heart.

How was it possible for him to feel _that_ strongly about the boy he **just** met, when that same affection growing within him for the child was something he had never - _once_ \- felt from his own _Father_?

Never mind the fact that Vampires, and Demons, were known to leave their children to fend alone in the world, without ever knowing a _sliver_ of affection because it was a disgrace to their race, and a denigration to their longstanding pride!

This was forcing him to step into completely uncharted territory!

Yet, for all the questioning contempt, and despite its almost alien form, there was a strange familiarity to this.

Almost, as if it were rather...

... _Human..._

Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, he gripped the beige-colored sweater within a firmly clenched fist.

Inside him, the emotion roared and raged, like a lion defending its young; practically baring its hideous bite at whosoever approached the boy with _darker-than-not_ intentions.

However, what surprised him the most was the sentiment that accompanied right after.

As strong as it felt, it left him equally bare - equally exposed - to all those who held him at enemy's end.

No margin for error was allowed, and no space given.

That instinct bubbling within him cramped whatever room was left inside.

But one existence managed to fill that leftover void.

A _foreign fear._

Which his immortal arrogance deceitfully transformed to choler.

And he hated it.

Hated it with as much passion as his fear _of it._

Because he had been this close _\- this close_ \- to growling at his own brothers like a rabid dog ( _after the lot had insisted on taking Luka away from him_ ). He may be considered a monster, but that didn't make him an animal!

The doubts that previously disconcerted him, seemed to swim in the back of his mind. Constantly reminding him of things he'd rather not think about anymore. Filling his vision with false truths and duplicitous lies that harassed and plagued his reason.

Before having the chance to shove them straight back from whence they came from, the ragged image of the murderous bear - _locked -_ within a cage far too small to give its frame any _real_ space, appeared in his mind's eye like a recurring nightmare, reminding him that it was hidden somewhere within these dismal walls of the grand estate.

Derision overcame him, then; and, spitting through the confines of his emotionally distraught mind, the third triplet of the set* realized - _with a heavy heart -_ what his beloved stuffed friend's actions had clearly implied.

' _How could he do this to me?!'_

After everything he did, everything he had confided in the bear, everything they went through **together -** _this treason_ was what had awaited him in the end? For Teddy, his own _friend_ , to turn against him like that?

What was it thinking?!

Blatantly threatening to maim him?!

 _HIM?!_

The person that had made him, cared for him, and kept him at arms length!

Who carried him!

Dressed him!

Fed him!

Talked to him!

Confided him!

Obeyed his every whim!

 _HIM!_

All of this, for what? For the toy to have been just about ready to forcefully take his _**son**_ away from-!

The doubts rose. .

' _I'm not...I **can't** be convinced that he's the child I had with that **stupid woman** , but he is...he has to be...' _

His arms, almost as if by habit alone, enveloped Luka's chubby torso, gently; and Kanato was able to feel the frailty of the life sitting before him, for the first time. Turning the boy away from his sister, in order to face him, the young father appreciated the close proximity between them to observe the child's distinctive features better.

There should be something, _anything,_ that proved his doubts right.

Absolutely _anything_!

But the more he looked at Luka, the more he realized how wrong he had been.

How wrong they _all_ had been.

Because it should have been more than obvious to the vampire that this child wasn't so different from him. From any of them. In fact, Luka - regardless of the distance placed - was quite the carbon copy of himself as a child.

Anyone who saw them together would have no doubt in the boy's parentage.

Yet, his own denial had kept him from seeing the reality placed before him.

Because, all in all, the confused alexandrite-eyed boy staring directly at him with a similarly arched brow as his own, was _his son;_ and, even with those physical similarities between them, Luka, _his son,_ proved to be every bit, _undeniably, **her child.**_ From the twinkling way in which the cherub showcased his pearly whites within that big, innocent grin; to his scrunched forehead and furrowed brows when baffled by his sister's "baby" talk.

In every expression, and in every action, the alexandrite-eyed boy undoubtedly reminded him of _that_ woman who, _though his pride would never openly confess,_ had meant much more - _so much more -_ than what he intended her to.

" _Yui-san..."_

A flash of vulnerability reached mauve-colored eyes, and so caught up in his thoughts was he, that he didn't realize he had spoken the name out loud, nor that his younger brother - who stood ever diligently against the shadows of the nearby wall - had heard the muttered name; and flinched in response.

Enveloped by the same melancholy he consistently wore at arm's length, Kanato recalled the many things that had happened before Yui shamelessly abandoned them.

Abandoned _him_!

And he caught himself wondering just _how_ different things would have been between them had _he_ been born a human like _her._

A sardonic laugh almost escaped his lips, then.

Surely, had he been born human, with the same limited lifespan those stupid mortals had, these past 16 years would have been enough for him to forget the pain her parting had unwittingly caused them.

Surely there would have been a semblance of unwilling acceptance in the aftermath of it all.

But, just like any of his kind who had made the same stupid decision as to _fall_ for a human, was condemned to eternity's shackles - so was he.

And the time that had passed, including the pain inflicted, would forevermore remain engraved within the very foundation of his existence; and its remaining scars, as fresh as the day it had all occurred.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Strands of a pure snow's contrast, fell atop the searing blood-red glare that bore its penetrating gaze onto the wooden floor below.

The, once usual, choleric wrath enveloping his aura, had - since the start of the night - disappeared from sight; leaving, in its stead, an air of sadness that blighted even the darkest shadows of the cornered walls.

Having heard _her_ name uttered from the lips of his own brother did not only fill him with a twinge of jealousy, but also an onslaught of memories that overbore his senses. Enough to cause him a mild headache.

And as the pain in his head kicked in, it carried along with it the suffocating ache in his heart.

All because he remembered everything from before her abandonment.

 _He remembered their conversations, their fights, and even, to some degree, the **argument** that had led them - all of them - to an entire day of separation from one another._

 _And from her._

A bitter chuckle escaped him at the reminder.

An argument between the six elusive brothers was one thing. It was common. Known for. Practically an every day occurrence in their eternal lifespan.

However, an argument in which the _one_ sacrificial bride involved herself - was a whole different matter.

And the consequences proved disastrously gut-wrenching, because come the following evening, nothing was the same.

For _any_ of them.

 _It was almost as if she had been swallowed by the very ground in which they stood; and all the things she had once owned remained as untouched as the day she had arrived. Her clothes. Her personal belongings. Even that rosary she carried preciously in her grasp, had been carelessly left atop the washstand beside her bed, as though it were worth nothing to its owner._

Funny thing was that, after that night, he never saw that rosary again.

But he had a hunch as to _who_ kept it.

 _They had been aware that it was a 'now or never' chance for her, and she injudiciously took it when they had least expected it!_

 _When they had least **wanted** it!_

Placing his hand against his coat's pocket, the silver knife's detailed handle came to mind at the touch, and with it, that _damned_ insignia of the Sakamaki royal bloodline.

After her disappearance, it was one of the few things he could reclaim of hers that his brothers hadn't already kept for themselves ( _not that the bastards would admit to it_ ). He had gifted it to her long ago, in hopes of having her save herself before she too was consumed by the same madness that drowned them all in eternal despair.

At the time, he had known that - for the sake of her own survival - she would eventually end up using it against them, _if need be._

An ironic end their immortal suffering.

But when she hadn't, when she chose to use the silvered weapon - not to end _their_ lives - but to **save** them...he had dared to hope.

Hope, as he never had, that she could be the one person he could trust.

Trust, to stay forever by his side.

What an idiot he was to have placed his trust on a human!

How pitiful and imbecile he must have seemed to her the night prior to her disappearance!

 _Blindly, they reacted by the sole emotion they knew - unrestrained **rage** \- over the frustration they felt of her absence, and arbitrary betrayal._

 _Obtuse from the impassiveness they had been well-accustomed to, the Sakamaki brothers knew nothing more than to pit themselves against one another._

 _Pointing fingers._

 _Voicing faults._

 _Casting blames._

 _And when the situation had finally subsided, the havoc reigned._

Since that day, their _Father_ had made no attempt in installing a new Sacrificial Bride into their lives; and the Sakamaki were left with nothing else, but a sense of bitter defeat.

In the end, they had no one else to blame but _**her.**_

They were morons, that's what they were!

They should have known how much their mental manipulations, their emotional and physical tortures, and their dire need to force her into submission, were what had broken the sanity of many a bride before her!

They _all_ should have known that!

Especially _him!_

After what he lived through with his own mother, who was to say that she - a _human woman -_ wouldn't be just the same, if not worse, than the pure-blooded white rose?

How could they have foolishly believed she to be any different from the rest?

' _No matter how many times we humiliated her, forced her, bit her - she would still defy us! Regardless of the cruelty we showed her, she still claimed that she **cared** for us!' _ Angrily, he clenched his teeth, ' _No! She never cared! There was no way anyone would ever care about monsters like-!'_

A soft giggle reached his ears, and surprised, he looked up at the little girl.

His strongly tensed features softened considerably at the sight of Luna playing with her little brother; and though his daughter's outward appearance reminded him to be as that of his mother - the virtue and innocence she displayed, including that calm serenity she unknowingly possessed could only, ever, be attributed to _Yui_.

Sweet-tempered.

Adorable.

 _Kind._

He couldn't believe that such a pure, beautiful being was really born out of someone like him. Someone whose very existence had been an abhorrence created by a man, who would get to any means necessary in order to achieve his vice - regardless of those he wounded in his path.

Lost in thought, he pondered further onto the similarities between his child, and the woman he had once cared for deeply, that the hardened glare - which had once encompassed the brightness of his bloody-red orbs - eased away like a passing wind. Making way for a longing that he had, long since, been starved of.

A longing for affection.

A yearning for acceptance.

Hadn't that been what Yui granted them long ago?

Granted _him?_

' _No,'_ his arms crossed deeper against his chest, _'_ _She didn't. Don't be an idiot! S_ _he was never any different from-'_

But, she _had_ proven herself to be different, _hadn't she?_

Different from all those girls that screamed ' _bloody murder_ ' when they came to find out about the boys' true nature? Different from all those humans at school that had adored them simply because of the allure their kind gave off to seduce their prey? Different... so tremendously different, from his sanity-broken Mother that continued to suffer in that East Side Tower, because her weak and sullied son had not the balls to end her agony once and for all?

A morbid thought interrupted him almost immediately after, muddling the rest of his thoughts from what was to come next.

' _Maybe,'_ he paused, ' _Maybe Laito's kid is right.'_

And the words came afloat, from the deepest recesses of his mind, as if cruelly dangling before him. Haunting him, with images of a wicked deed he didn't recall, and taunting his agony to the brink of the precipice.

 _ **"...Father Komori suggested that perhaps you had all entered into a state of bloodlust that prevented you from rationalizing with your instincts..."**_

Laito's kid, _whatever-his-name-was_ , would never come to understand just how much the possibility of it - _of **that** happening - _ had tormented him and his brothers for the past 16 years. How the mere idea was revolting to them, and far too sickening to withstand, that they found themselves suppressing their thoughts with consistent denial that she _wasn't_ good enough, or desirable enough, for them to want her for _more_ than just her blood.

In any sense or way.

But they knew it all to be a damned, shameless _lie_.

His sharpened incisors jabbed the seam of his lips, as he held back a wave of nausea that washed over him at the imagery his mind's eye had suddenly concocted.

Yes, they had _wanted_ her.

Yes, they had _yearned_ for her.

Yes, they had _desired_ her.

But it was all meaningless if their _want_ of her had coerced them to force themselves - to force their attraction for her - _against_ her by pure, unrestrained instinct!

And, for the first time in 16 years, he felt like the monster he was constantly accused of being.

The monster he _truly_ was.

' _Damn it all!'_

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Wrapping his arms further onto his son's torso, Kanato incognizantly sought comfort from an external force - in much the same manner with which he relied on Teddy - and was relieved to feel, almost instantaneously, how his previous unease had _all but_ dissipated in a moment.

Pleasantly surprised by the placidity overbearing his turbulent thoughts, the mauve-eyed Prince understood now how his son's propinquity affected him.

This closure with Luka somehow filled him with an indescribable peace that reigned through every crevice of his listless body. Safely securing within him a serenity that he had never once felt since the day he was born.

Grave were his nefarious thoughts on the matter, that he recalled with dole how he - though not a fully _unwanted_ child - was the means for an ambitious woman to reach her goal.

The awareness that had filled him after Cordelia - his Mother ( _and the primary peccant of his distrustful nature and emotional instability)_ had died, was also the catalyst that kept him from forming bonds with anyone, including his own brothers.

Save for Teddy, that is.

If ever, there had been a value to which he had esteemed her in, as his Mother, it had since turned to ash; alongside her cremated remains.

Only after her death had he realized how little worth she had to him.

It wasn't as if she had ever done anything in her extravagant life to honor after her death, so the importance of her existence in anyone's life - including his Father's - was like that of a single, insignificant ant's. There was nothing she could have done to make him think otherwise, and sadly - even as her proclaimed _favorite -_ he found no closure in eternally condemning himself to a life of grief and solitude, for a foolish woman that had never been anything other than, well, a _woman_.

In his youth, he had come to realize the million and one ways his own mother had broken and desensitized him from properly _living_ at all. She had made it abundantly clear that there was no escape from the Golden Cage of their dependence on her; and if there _was_ such a way, well, she had ensured to make it as excruciatingly impossible to leave. Not because they were her _beloved_ sons, but because they were the only connection she had to _possibly_ receiving the attentions she sought from the one man who could dispose of her at a snap of his fingers.

But he hadn't hated her, then.

Even with all he had been aware of, he had still loved her because she was _his_ Mother.

But there was only ever so much he could take.

From her rarely granted love, to her easily distributed attentions, Cordelia always imposed herself to carry her image as more of a woman than a Mother. That was the truth he always knew, and one which he always turned a blind eye to.

Hell, she had been plenty straightforward about it, considering that - when he was a child no older than the platinum-blonde beside him - Cordelia had continued her little tryst with his Uncle Richter, while being in the same bedroom as he.

Adding salt to the open wound, he had also come to know of the favoritism she held for _one son_ in particular, after he found himself practically extortioned - _by her, no less_ \- to sing until his vocal chords burst; and his throat was left red and raw, in a bout of boredom that had struck the Vampire King's First Wife.

At that time, he had attentively seen the way her bored expression turned wickedly suggestive as she faced Laito, before seeing his older brother, later that evening, being led to her private dormitory - where more than one man would sneak in, and out, without their Father's notice.

Like a fool, Kanato had always vied for the attention she would never give him, and in turn for her falsified annunciation of love, hated her with a fervency that equally matched his love for her; leaving the concept he had about ' _love'_ to be numb, and corrupted.

It was only when he aided Ayato and Laito in ridding themselves of that demoness' clawing grip, once and for all, that he finally caught a glimpse of that which he had - long since - discarded.

And, as he stood there, watching how her marbled ivory skin, her long lavender-colored mane, and that ethereal beauty that many in the vampire world had profusely envied ( _which, in turn, made her much more arrogant of_ ) turn to nothing more than ash and dust by the fire he poured over her bleeding, lifeless body; he could feel the cold tears slowly trickle off the corner of his eyes, and down his pale cheeks, before ' _clinking'_ onto the stony path below. Where the cherry-red roses swallowed all that was left of her cremated remains.

It had been in that moment of litany, that the Prince's ruptured sanity reverted his suffocating wails into maniacal bursts of laughter, erupting from deep within the pits of his agonized soul. If his kind was even permitted to possess one at this point.

It had not been the pain of loss he had felt for her that day, nor the agony of having ended her life by his hand.

Not at all.

That smothering sentiment wanting to burst straight out of his throat, was none other than the unrestrained freedom he was granted; finally broken free from its tightly sealed barrier. Finally!

After all this time, the liberty that he and his brothers had insatiably craved for, for many - many - years, was finally theirs!

But it had been at the peak of enjoying that short-lived marvel, where Yui had made her unprecedented arrival into their lives - as swift as a spring storm; and it was, once again, that the Sakamaki brothers found themselves flung back into that whirling tempest of passionate desperation.

He, _especially,_ had felt the repercussions of it to its full effect.

Craving for attention that could not be obtained.

Yearning for affection that could not be given.

Desirous for her eyes to see _him_ , and him _alone_.

It had been _her_ arrival that had sentenced him for life, and her _heart_ that had convinced him of what remained dormant within.

A sliver of humanity still existed within him, within _all of them._ Much more than what they were led to believe in. What they chose to believe in.

But, just as he had been ready to accept that part of himself, and what the aftermath entailed, Yui's treason changed everything for him - _and his brothers._ Much more, _so much damnedly more_ , than his _Mother_ ever did.

And, in wiping her existence off the face of the earth, she made it virtually impossible for any of them to find her.

With that devastating fact in toil, Kanato grew to rue the day they met.

She had always been nothing short of a parasitic leech, wedging itself constantly - _deeply -_ into his body, into his _**heart;**_ draining every last drop of life left in him.

Like the viperous woman she was, she was merciless.

Saying she wished to cure the emotional scars left within him, _within them,_ from centuries of abuse. As if something of that degree could ever be cured - especially by a mortal like _her!_

 _Please!_

Since the beginning, that woman was a virus. Infecting him and his brothers with a sickness that knew no cure.

She was an addiction.

One with the most painful of withdrawals.

And in all that year spent living beneath the same roof as they, she had grown on him like a hard to reach itch.

She was intolerable.

Insufferable.

He just couldn't stand her!

He couldn't stand her compassion which knew no bounds.

Her kindness that could melt even the cruelest of hearts.

Her stupid acts of selflessness for those who were undeserving.

And especially that foolishness of hers when it came to acting on _their_ behalf!

Because it had been thanks to all of those little things, that the emptiness she had left behind practically echoed off of each creaking wall, squeaky floor, and broken heart left in that desolate manor.

The sigh escaping him, next, felt almost strangled against his throat; and, vulnerably, he hid his face above the boy's violet head, in much the same manner with which he relied on Teddy to keep his emotions at bay. So that no one could see the weakness swimming in his eyes.

' _If she hadn't taught me,'_ he thought, ' _shown me, what it was to lo- No. No! Forget that stupid woman! Forget her just like she had chosen to forget us! That traitor does not deserve an ounce of our sympathy!'_

But with Luka's forehead touching his own, staring directly at him, _albeit_ confusedly - with those same round eyes of _hers -_ even **wishing** to forget was a heavy feat. Because, the truth of the matter was - _**he couldn't**_. Not when he held in his arms the _only_ living proof that she had once existed in _his_ life.

Uneasy from all that encompassed his instant revelations, the older male sighed against Luka's shoulder, not realizing that - in doing so - the boy's brow wrinkled further into one.

Locks of pale lavender cascaded above semi-curled violet, framing the perfect ivory of Kanato's skin, like a veil - making the young father resemble a mourning effigy of an _angel of grief,_ that saddened his little mini-me.

Yui had been the only woman that taught him how to trust someone other than himself ( _because, in all truth, he didn't even trust his own brothers - despite two of them being born from the same womb as he);_ and, for the first time in his immortal life, he had been inconceivably happy, despite never showing so.

Least of all, to her.

Therefore, the unanswered question remained.

 _How could she have done such a thing to them?_

 _To **him**? _

He hated to admit to himself that her betrayal had done something worse than scar him. Hated, that the pain she wrought had left him as he was meant to be. _Living Dead_ ; to that insatiable degree that would never find remedy or salvation.

And though the brothers would rather act as though nothing had changed in them, and continue to brood and live within their boring immortality, their entire demeanor was meant to hide the tenderness left from their silently bleeding egos and stigmatized hearts.

Regardless of it, in all those situations he had _known_ what to feel. Whether it ranged from _anger_ or _resentment,_ or even _agony,_ he knew what to name those disparaged emotions.

Not _this_.

Not like _that_.

He may have known how to cast aside his frustration against Yui, and that of her memory, because he had every right to after what she had done to him! But now, with Teddy's apparent interest in maiming him, and taking his son, Kanato lay at a loss from _what_ to feel.

With a cold, pale hand, the pureblood ran his fingers through the violet strands of his boy, finding comfort in his touch. Luka, in turn, quietly observed his Father's strange antics, understanding what lay at the soul's base of this _yandere_ vampire.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Without disturbing the distraught male from his thoughts, Luka held the other hand - the one wrapped securely across his tummy - and inquisitively clasped his father's slender fingers within his two fists, as if offering solace to the man's inner suffering.

He may not have known what was bothering his Father so much, but - by God - he would try to convey, as much as he could, that the man wasn't alone in this world.

As if understanding what Luka was trying to relay, Kanato caught himself smiling at the boy, and hugged him further onto his chest. Resting his cheek against the boy's crown.

Luna, seeing the affection her Princely Uncle poured onto her baby brother ( _though the male was completely oblivious of it as being 'affectionate'_ ) released a small, unsatisfied whimper.

She wanted to be showered with affection too!

When Subaru heard his daughter's muffled whine, he immediately moved away from the wall and, rather discreetly, rushed toward them to see what was wrong with Luna.

What he found, in its stead, was nothing short of vexing for the albino.

With a bumbling timidness known to be solely Yui's, Luna approached her Uncle with care - as if she were approaching a scared puppy - and softly tugged on his sleeve.

Kanato, taking notice of her only after he saw Luka waving in her direction, was surprised to find the girl with an eager twinkle in her eyes - directed straight at him.

" _Jii-chama,"_ she said with an innocent blush filling her cream-colored cheeks, much to Subaru's chagrin, "Can _Jii-chama_ pet my head too?"

Taken aback by the bold request from one as young as she, Kanato was left dumbfounded.

"Huh?"

"I...I wanna be petted by Kanato _Jii-chama_ too, just like Luka-kun." Embarrassed by his obvious surprise, she looked down at the ground, believing that he'd deny her request.

"Why?" he started.

"Well, that's because..." Luna stared down at her feet, fidgeting slightly, "Because I'm also a good girl, just like Luka-kun is a good boy and-."

"I meant, why me?"

The little platinum-blonde tilted her head toward him in evident confusion; and Subaru wasn't liking any of this.

Why was she looking at Kanato, of all people, so... so _cutely_?

Clenching, and unclenching, his fists, Subaru was practically behind the seated three at this point, his face a mask of anger that would put even the _men-yoroi*_ to shame.

" _Jii-chama_ is a Prince! I want to be said ' _good girl'_ by Princely _Jii-chama!_ "

Luka felt a soft chuckle rumble against the chest behind him. Glancing back at his Father, he noticed the small quirk of his lips as he watched Luna fumbling in embarrassment.

"That's rather bold of you." Kanato added with a small bout of eased arrogance, as he looked over at Subaru, triumphantly.

Subaru was **not** having it.

The distinct sound of a ' _crack'_ filled the ears of the older brother; and should the broken stone-carved pillar before them be any indication of Subaru's rising choler, Kanato took no heed of it.

With a smug smirk on his face, Kanato lifted his hand to rest atop the little girl's silvery-white locks, and ventured his gaze toward that of his half-brother, standing with a ferocious scowl marring his flawless complexion, beside the evident dent against stone.

"You should be honored that I'm rewarding you." He said with a haughty pout that rivaled Ayato's own. "I don't do this often, you know."

Like a puppy in love, Luna nodded, alight with happiness.

" _Hai!_ Thank you _Jii-chama_!"

Luka, Kanato, and Subaru could practically see the little girl wagging an invisble tail; and, though both father and son thought it to be really cute, Subaru was not thrilled at all.

His daughter was being treated like some damned animal by that pipsqueak brother of his!

Who the fuck did he think he was?!

" _Oi!"_ The white-haired prince called out to the mauve-eyed triplet, his fangs gleaming menacingly beneath the light of the room. Luna, hearing her Father just ways behind her, immediately jumped for cover behind her Uncle's shoulder, burrowing her face against his sweater.

Subaru felt a sharp sting shoot through his chest.

He knew Luna feared him since they first met, and mostly he had himself to blame for it, but having gained this affirmation of what he had hoped to be a figment of his imagination, only served to make him feel that much worse about it.

"What?" Kanato questioned bluntly, bringing him out of his thoughts; and, remembering his current affliction, the white-haired vampire turned rabidly toward him.

"Why the fuck are you treating her like a dog?"

"I wasn't treating her like a dog!"

"You were petting her like one!"

"She asked for it!"

"And you should've denied!"

"So what? You'd prefer she start crying if I didn't-!" Subaru interrupted Kanato by lifting his fist at the eye level of the triplet.

"I'll punch your damn mouth crooked if you make her cry!"

"What the hell do you want me to do then?!" Kanato was wide-eyed, not at all understanding Subaru's mood changes.

And they said _he_ was the bipolar one in this family.

"You better stay away from her!"

Kanato looked down at his shoulder to find Luna's quivering grasp holding onto his sweater, tightly, "Doesn't look like she wants to."

Subaru saw red.

"Listen here you piece of..."

And the fight broke out.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

While the argument was quickly heating up between both pureblooded brothers, in much the same as the two youngest children recalled Hime and Akumu, Luka ( _having been placed by his Father to sit beside Luna, in the heat of the moment)_ stared at the large door where the Teddy Bear had been taken through.

Intent on searching for him, he maneuvered his small body across the seat, hanging one foot off the edge of the couch until he was sure he was close enough to the ground, before letting the rest of his body weight drag him to the carpeted floor without incident.

Luna, hearing the little grunts of exertion behind her, turned to find her little brother on the ground, crawling away from where the two older males were yelling out at one another.

Afraid that he might harm himself, she too got off of the couch and followed behind.

"What is it, Luka-kun?"

Resting from the distance he had achieved in a short lapse of time, the little boy glanced back at his sister and lifted his small arm; pointing directly at the door a few feet away from him.

Luna quickly understood that there was some place he wanted to go to, but was curious as to why.

"Are we going exploring?"

He shook his head.

"Umm...then, are we going to look for something?"

Nodding in affirmation, he made his way toward the door without so much as glancing back.

Nervous of his direction of travel, and even more so after having escaped the somber entrapment of the halls' maze with Akumu and Hime, just moments prior, Luna was adamant to follow through with her brother's whim once they reached the large, slightly opened, maple doors.

Without any sign of nervousness or hesitance, Luka grabbed onto the wooden frame of the jamb and lifted himself upward. Using the rest of his body weight, he pushed the door forward until the gap was large enough for him to exit the living room without disturbing the _disturbance_ that was already taking hold of the siblings' fathers.

"But Luka-kun," Luna stopped her brother as she, herself, took a step back at the sight of the darkened halls, "It's really dark and scary in there."

Turning to face Luna, whose fear-dripped voice did nothing to reflect the obvious animosity she had for the darkness that roamed the halls before them, Luka noticed she didn't seem at all convinced on accompanying him; and though this did little to stop him from finding the Teddy Bear, he did consider it to be imprudent of him to abandon her here when the two males were bickering wildly.

Mainly because she was far too sensitive to strong-willed emotions, such as the ones that appeared out of the blue between her Father and his.

Then again, he didn't really want to stop. Not now. Not when he was so close to finding the bear. At this point, he could practically feel its presence nearby; as if it were, but a short distance away.

And resolute, he turned away from his sister.

Luna, believing that Luka was going to go on without her, started to sniffle.

As he crawled toward the nearby wall, Luka propelled his body forward to rest his standing weight upon the wall, as he tried - with all his might - to stand as tall, and secure, as his older brothers; and though he trembled like a newborn fawn, the smile he gave Luna was full of achieved triumph. Making her smile in turn.

Raising his hand toward her, he beckoned her to follow along with him.

Luna, though still hesitant to continue, was reassured by her brother's actions and tentatively reached out to grab his much smaller hand. Feeling as though he was conveying through that single action an ' _it's okay, I'll protect you.'_

And though he was nowhere near her height, or that of her brothers and sisters, he still had the strength and conviction to make her feel just as safe, as if she were with Akumu- _niichan_ or Kaname- _niichama_.

"Okay, I'll come along too."

Nodding in silent agreement, both children set out to finding the Teddy Bear while they left their fathers alone - arguing in the room behind them.

* * *

 **Droit -** _"right"_.

 **Third Triplet of the Set** \- Honestly the order of the triplets is always confusing to me. When I first saw the anime, I believed Ayato to be the middle child, Laito the eldest, and Kanato the youngest. When I read up on the game version, it said that Ayato is the youngest, while Kanato is the middle child, and Laito the eldest. But apparently, it seems that the design of the triplets is as follows: as per the "DiaLovers World" Laito was born first, Kanato second, and Ayato third, however, whoever is born last is considered first so the actual order would be, Ayato is the eldest, Kanato is the middle, and Laito is the youngest.

I call BS on all that (excuse my language) so in my story, it will be as such:  
Ayato is older, Laito is middle, Kanato is youngest.  
And that's that.

 ** _Men-Yoroi_ \- **_"Mengu"_ or " _Mempo",_ is the term used for various types of facial armor worn by the samurai class and their retainers in Feudal Japan.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

 **I don't usually end my story with an author's note, but this is _very important_ , so please read into this.**

 **After this chapter, I will be taking a break from updating any new chapters for T-M-T-E-T-S for a while. Now, this isn't just because I decided so, which I did, but also because it's that time of year when work and school clash, and since this year it will be requiring my utmost focus ( _medicine is not an easy task, for anyone; especially so close to graduation_ ) I will be needing as much of a breather as I possibly can. **

**Again, this doesn't mean I will be putting you all on hiatus. For sure for sure, I'll be uploading before the end of the year, and to properly reward you all for the patience you give me (if you give me any) I will be uploading 2 new chapters for this story, instead of just 1.**

 **I promised you all I'd see this through, and I intend to keep my word, despite the obstacles I constantly come across.**

 **Last, but not least, I want to thank everyone for the valuable time, and reviews, you have granted me since I first joined FF. I honestly never thought this story would've grabbed anyone's attention, and am extremely humbled that many of you enjoy it.**

 **~Dearly Sent~**

 **~ _S.O.V~_**


	12. Teddy's Acrimony: Part II

**Thank you for your patience, dear readers. First promised chapter is up; and a Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am grateful to have you all splendid readers in my life.**

 **Now, let me ask you something in return.**

 **I want you guys to think. Really think for a second. Think back on the initial page. Think back on the summary. Think back on the prologue. Do you see a connection there? Yes or no?**

 **If yes, you'll find the answer to what awaits in future chapters.**

 **If no, read again.**

 **That's all I have to say.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter X

 _ **Teddy's Acrimony: Part II**_

Drawing the golden handle inward as the immaculately polished door came to a close before him, Kaname stood still for well over a minute - pensive - about all that had transpired in Hime's room, just moments earlier. Enclosed within the silent hall by the cast shadows of the mid-dusk breaching the windows behind him, his actinolite irises smoldered beneath their green shade like tormented hellfire; reflecting the chaos that bubbled within.

Releasing the handle in his grip, while the slightest of ' _rattles'_ echoed within the chamber, Kaname ventured -with a heavy heart - onto the darkened hallway; guided by nothing else than the flickering glims upon the sconces overhead. By the time he realized that his walk had prolonged in length, and that he had blanked out for most of it, he was already standing amid the silent dormitories of the unmentioned East Wing.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He whispered his frustration onto no one in particular, slamming his open hand onto the wall with restrained force, as he turned back just as instantly from the path he had strayed from.

He had known full well, from his earlier wandering, that this part of the manor belonged solely to the Sakamaki brothers; and, he hoped to get out of there as soon as possible before having to deal with another ' _unwarranted_ _'_ meeting with his bastard of a Father. Honestly, he didn't know how long he'd be able to hold up the pretense of withstanding that vexing vampire, if the case didn't go in his favor. Especially since Laito had proven himself to be a formidable nuisance.

A weary, heavy sigh escaped his lips at the prospect of encountering the olive-eyed vampire once more; and covering his eyes with a single hand, he thought back on a question he had - since - kept at bay.

' _What's going to happen to us? Now that we're set to live within this antiquated manor,'_ he stared out at the stormy sky from the curtained window beside him, ' _and alongside these six pure-blooded vampires?'_

Would they be treated like the family they were meant to be?

' _Not likely. They are brothers, and hate each others' guts with a fervency that surpasses that of an enemy. What are we to expect from them, but the same?' _

Perhaps, housemates?

A dry scoff escaped his lips at the internal joke.

' _We're m_ _ore like pests they feel need to be eradicated.'_

Looking out onto the pervading darkness before him, he felt the impotence within him rise once more, at the reminder that his age was the limit that incapacitated him beyond the maturity of his mind.

Why was it that people believed him blind to things, simply because he was young and inexperienced?

Youth was nothing, when the mind was full-grown.

And just because he was 12 years old didn't mean that he didn't understand what surrounded him. After all, from his granted perspective, he had come across the animosity that had grown between the dhampyres and their respective Fathers, since the start of their arrival; and most of it dealt with the pureblood's distorted memory of the woman - _his Mother -_ that had supposedly 'abandoned' them without cause, or reason.

Now, whether or not those elusive emotions of theirs came across from some twisted form of unforgiving resentment toward her existence, or if it was all due to the Princes' own melancholic longing for the runaway bride they _so-obviously_ missed - Kaname held little incentive to care.

It wasn't in his immediate disposal _to_ care.

Not when his concern lied elsewhere.

And yet, a part of him _did._

It was the part he least wanted to listen to, and the one that most screamed within him.

Yes, he had wanted to know the truth just as much as the next guy, but what was the use of finding out what had happened, when his reason constantly fought his faith?

His faith in his sister's own, toward the Father's they had just met.

His faith in his Mother's words, of the past she had shared, and the presumable love she had felt for each one of these brothers.

And even his own, that there was more to them than what he had gotten to know in a single glance.

But despite his fortified belief, there was also a standing reason, which prevented him from shaking away the feeling he had - of the mystery shrouding the past of the runaway bride with these six sadistic princes; which, to add salt to wound, apparently _**no one**_ in their right minds had an answer to!

Not even the ones he knew were the cause of the bride's plight, to begin with!

 _'I can't let my guard down around them,'_ he decided, as he set again to walk down the path, ' _We haven't come to terms with anything yet! Mother must have left for **a reason.** Otherwise, she wouldn't have abandoned the men she loved, while bearing their children! And if she left...if she truly left them out of her own volition, then it must be because of something they did to her._ _That being the case, there's no telling what they're capable of doing to us, especially if - **when** \- they find out that Nee-san isn't...' _

A heavy knot rose against his throat like a lump, constricting the words his thoughts had invoked. Rising, in its stead, something that Akumu had uttered shortly before leaving him and Hime to wonder where their own hearts lay in the matter of their sister's mortality.

 _ **"...the least I could do was give her more time."**_

Standing directly beneath the intersecting corners of the Central Manor with the Eastern Wing, Kaname felt his body root firmly against the carpeted ground. His blood pulsing in rapid beating to his heart, as he welcomed the hollowed emptiness of the diverged path.

Lost within scattered remnants of his thoughts, he gazed deeply at his hands, as if the answer he was searching for would be found within the tassels of his palms.

" _Akumu..."_ he uttered his brother's name amid the emptied hall.

Despite all he had said about being aware of his surroundings, how could he have missed Akumu's nobility? It was evident since the moment his brother had stood against his Uncles, even against his own Father, to protect their _Nee-san_!

And he had inwardly known of it, with every fiber of his being, that Akumu's lie was said for none other than Regina's sake!

Because he also knew, that no one's love was more honest, and more devoted, than Akumu's when it came to the eldest daughter.

He had known that since Akumu first faced his Father to defend Regina.

Known that since they first moved in to live with Father Komori at the Church.

And, even known that, since the day his red-haired brother was born.

Still, how could he have blinded himself to none other than his brother's intentions?

' _Why?'_

Then, he remembered Reiji.

The man was an intellect. This meant that, by nature, he was a consistent observer. So how could it be possible that he'd put the observation on their powers to _rest_ , simply because Akumu had made it sound reasonable enough that Regina _may_ be a powerful dhampyr like them, to discontinue his questioning?

It wasn't as though they were dealing with just _any_ child. It was the man's own daughter! A daughter, that had no yearn for blood, nor strength, nor speed, nor levitation, nor even immortality!

And because of this immediate acquisition - not just from the 2nd prince, but from all of them - something hadn't clicked well with him.

They weren't dealing with simple half-breeds! They were dealing with 5 _gifted_ children, whose own powers could either go in favor of them, or against them at the slightest incentive. Meaning that - regardless of how harmless their inherent ability appeared to be to the outside world - including how conceivable they were to the mortal eye, the truth remained that they were nothing more than children.

Thus, incapable of gaining control of their own powers as soon as they awakened them, because there was too much that was left for them to grasp, too much that was left for them to learn; and given the circumstances of their orphaned upbringing, he highly doubted that the knowledge on how to control their powers, would be as easily accessible as searching in a public library.

Of course, this also brought to light a different reminder that, in having lived encased within a constantly secluded life, the proficiency of powers regarding _their case_ , would also make things fairly difficult for them to adapt to as adults, if not - _limit_ them.

Now, Kaname held no qualms that Father Komori's restraint on their freedom of openly experimenting the height of their prowess, was intended to avoid withstanding issues - apart from internal conflicts - with the same Church that both cared for them, and abnegated existences like theirs from the natural order of the world.

But...had that been a good thing?

 _'If we had properly learned about our powers, maybe we wouldn't be having this kind of issue right now.'_ His eyes roamed onto the sconces above; and Akumu's previous trick with the candles, came immediately to mind.

It wasn't unusual for them to restrain their abilities, but in doing so ( _especially when willingly summoned_ ) often took a greater toll on their bodies than invoking it unconsciously.

So how much had Akumu practiced to be able to do what he did?

After all, in order for Hime to summon the glacial element she possessed, even if in small amounts, she had spent nearly 2 weeks in bed-rest with a full body frost bite that had almost consumed her, had not Regina been there in time to stop her. All because the idiot had felt **_that_** particular Summer to be too hot for her!

So, what of his brother? What had he suffered, and for what reason?

' _I know the reason,'_ He heaved a sigh. ' _But then, what about me?'_

Thinking back on it, he had never truly pushed himself beyond his outward limits. Mainly because there was never a need to. His ability required more of a mental preparation, than a physical sustenance.

Besides, it wasn't as if anyone had ever been hurt from mind reading before.

But, now that he reasoned with his assessed gift, he could see that it was just as equally unpredictable and averse as Akumu's fire. So much so that he recalled, once, how he had tried to initiate the invocation of his mind-reading, while being in the safety of his quarters at the Monastery, only to end his 'practice sessions' in a string of consistently futile attempts.

Yet, when he didn't try to, especially in those times he didn't _want_ to use it, the images of another person's life would appear within his mind's eye like a flash of lightning, and just as quick as a passing thought, fade back into nothing. Proving to him, time and time again, how unbalanced his dominion was.

Chastising himself, he slapped a hand against his forehead.

' _I'm such a hypocrite,"_ he thought; and no sooner did he think that, did self-recrimination open up the rising guilt within him.

And beneath that barely lit hall, Kaname could feel the remorse within him, in every sense he possessed.

Pounding strongly,

Indignantly,

 _Furiously,_ against his rib cage.

His hand, the one he had been staring at for the longest of times, had leaned out toward the soft candle glow overhead, watching as the light refracted off the reddened glass encasing the tiny flame, before its rays gleamed inconspicuously throughout the gap between his fingers.

He had intended to be unyielding in action.

To chastise his brother about _thinking_ things through before _acting_ upon them.

He had wanted him to see that, by throwing them all under the bus as he did, he had practically pushed them into shark infested waters; where their Fathers' harbored hatred resided.

And now, because of what was done, all of them - every single one of them - was expected to comply to the verbal warnings, or face a repercussion to the given banter - despite the nobility behind the second son's lie.

 _'Nevertheless...'_ He looked at his hand, once more.

The lingering sting of that mercilessly granted slap, had engraved itself onto the skin of his palm - pulsing - as a constant reminder of his inner torment; like the beating thrum of a wounded heart.

"Why did I slap him?" he wondered aloud, glancing up at the ceiling, before he rested the back of his head against the nearby wall. "Why did I do it?"

It wasn't easy for him to admit his mistake, but he knew he _had_ screwed up.

Because Akumu may be many things; annoying, uncontrollable, hyperactive, rowdy, reckless...but he was _his_ annoying, uncontrollable, hyperactive, rowdy, reckless little brother.

And despite all of his misgivings, when Akumu set his mind to do something, he proceeded forward without holding anything back. Much more fearlessly, and bullheadedly, than any one of the other siblings.

But the one thing he admired most of his brother, was that he tended to wear his heart on his sleeve - much unlike him.

So much unlike him.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, practically leaving behind two indented dots on his skin ( _from the sheer pressure behind his fingertips_ ) Kaname's back slowly slid against the wall propping him up, until he finally sat against the carpeted ground.

Despite how calm his exterior personality appeared to be to others, especially when facing these kinds of stressful situations, he was no more than a crystal cup withholding large amounts of water. Likewise, he was ready to spill over, or worse - shatter.

He was well aware he had been holding back many emotions, particularly the negative ones, since they were first notified of the transfer from Church to Manor.

In not wanting to stand against Father Komori's decision - _sudden,_ though it was - he had intended to silence his initial opposition to it. Plus, he hadn't wanted to be a killjoy on his siblings' excitement for the parents they had never known, so he said nothing on the matter; regardless of how much resentment lay hidden beneath the easy smile he gave, toward moving into the same house where the Father he had hoped - never in his life to meet - lived.

And it had worked.

At the very beginning, his anger was nothing more than a tinge - hardly a speck - obvious to all but the cause of his aggravation; as he was constantly reminded of Laito's presence in his life.

However, once things happened - as such they did - that irascible fury bubbling within him, made itself known as unbidden and relentless wrath. To this, he couldn't help but wonder how differently things would've been, had they remained at the Monastery with Father Komori.

Surely, he would've come to terms with meeting their Father's every other weekend of the month.

Maybe then he would've coped with the living arrangements.

At least _that_ would have been easier to manage.

But that wasn't it.

No.

The problem here was that - without a way to vent that slowly rising anger of his - he had begun to unconsciously fuel it.

' _I fanned_ _the flames of my own pyre,'_ he thought, bitterly.

And when things continued the way they did, it was inevitable for him to one day end up releasing that anger without restraint.

Which he did.

Toward his own brother.

The sigh he released after the revelation, almost sounded like a choked sob.

When he had been with Regina, tending to her bruised neck; her touch, her words, her warmth, had managed - as always - to quell those high-strung emotions that seethed within him in silence, but burdening his _Nee-san_ with his own problems was not in his nature. Especially when he knew of the sorrow she masked behind the smile she gave.

Which was why, by the time he realized the kind of volcano that resided within him, it had blown out of proportion; and far beyond his control.

' _Of course I was outraged, just like everyone else, over Uncle Ayato's aggression against Nee-san!'_ He clenched his teeth as he thought of Akumu and Hime, ' _Of course I was just as indignant as you all!'_

But unlike his unbridled brother, who held no qualms in voicing his indignation to his Father, and his Uncles altogether; Kaname prided himself in knowing when to hold his tongue.

To think that doing so would be reason enough for Akumu to believe that he didn't-... to _accuse_ him of not caring for Regina's well-being - of not loving her - all because he chose to remain silent?!

' _Of course I love her! I've always loved her! More than any one of you would ever know!'_

So how could **he** confuse _his_ prudence for **_indifference_**?!

Slamming his closed fist against the wall beside him, hearing the hardened creak of antiquated stone rebound off the walls, the twelve-year old's eyes were hidden behind his messy bangs.

Akumu's words had cut deep through him, deeper than he would've thought, and had - no sooner than spoken - become the proverbial drop that spilled the cup, afterward.

By the time he realized it, he had already swung his hand out toward his brother's cheek, striking him on the spot, while the restrained emotions he had tried so hard to keep locked away, had poured the irascible truth from his lips as quickly as a broken dam.

" _Nee-san..."_ he thought back on the eldest, of how she must have felt as Akumu claimed her to be just like the rest of them, before her reticent Father. _Knowing,_ that it was all a lie to deceive the taciturn man.

Of course he wanted her happiness, above all else. That was why he had not gone against the move-in, despite every warning bell ringing off in his mind that this wasn't going to be a very pleasant reunion - for any of them.

But he had never seen her look so happy as she did, the day she told them all what Father Komori's decision had been. Hope had alighted her eyes in a way that made the morganite hue blossom like a rosebud in June. The smile she gave them was just as equally contagious as the happiness that brimmed from her heart, that for a moment - those same sirens in his mind - had been silenced by that unwavering faith that he deeply admired in her.

Even Father Komori had praised that about her.

He had called her ' _the white lotus blossom that blooms in the murkiest waters.'_

But to Kaname, she was more than that.

She was their guiding light.

The second brightest star in the sky, apart from their Mother.

Because if not for her - for her existence - God knows what would've become of them. Had she not been there for them with her nurturing kindness and immeasurable dedication to take on a position no one had asked her to, none of them would've been able to smile again, especially on so short a time after their Mother's passing.

Regina had done so much for them these past few years to fill in the loss of their Mother, that it had been so easy to forget that she too was orphaned like them.

Now that he thought about it, it was almost alarming on how well she had coped with becoming a mother-figure for five young children, her own siblings, while being his age at the time.

' _Especially when she's nothing like us...'_

Grabbing the side of his hair with a single hand in visible cafard, he remembered how Regina kept her composure, even while all others broke apart around her, standing alongside their Mother's deathbed.

She had just stood there, holding onto that angelic smile of hers, while she brushed the blonde strands of hair on the woman's head, while she lay sickly - and frail, _extremely_ frail - on the bed; looking up at them all with the same gentleness in her gaze that time and time again reminded them how much they were loved, as the rest practically threw themselves on the ground in anguish and sorrow. Trying, with all their might, to understand and assimilate what was happening to their beautiful Mother.

They were simply children at the time, and too young to understand what loss meant.

But so was she.

And yet, she hadn't cried.

Instead, she had stayed by their Mother's bedside, watching over her, taking care of her, praying softly with her, memorizing every last word uttered from the woman's lips before the Angel of Death came one night, and took her from their side to reach the Lord's Gates in Heaven.

And though he had seen in her eyes the vulnerability of a frightened 12 year old girl that had, not only lost her beloved Mother, but also her best friend; not a single tear escaped her crystallized eyes, and not a single quiver dropped the heart-wrenching smile that remained plastered on her lips as she hummed the lullaby* that their Mother had reserved only for her, in their early infancy.

Once they were separated from her side, Regina had taken them all to her dormitory at the Convent where they could scream and cry and yell out their injustices upon heaven, upon God, and upon the world for taking away what they most cherished and loved; all while embracing them, and their pain, and reassuring them that everything would be alright.

That God had not abandoned them.

The rest of their lives leading to now, had been an attempt of five orphaned dhampyrs trying to find their place in this world, alongside a human sister who was all they had left of the Mother they lost too early in life.

Hot tears threatened to spill from his burning eyes, as he took a deep - and much needed breath.

"Now is not the time to think about that." He wiped his nose with his hand, "There's still the matter of covering for _Nee-san's_ supposed 'power'".

On one hand, he considered this a good incentive ( _though he hardly gave credit to Akumu for thinking that far ahead_ ) for the siblings to learn control. As dhampyrs, this could be beneficial for them to - not only learn the extent of their reach - but also be able to one day conceal it, properly, from the rest of the world.

On the other, it was also a very dangerous lie to uphold, should things not go as planned.

Because if one of them should fail to control their powers, especially when near Regina, and this was to be found out by Reiji, of all people, she would - sure as hell - be blamed for their inability to control the power they possessed.

And knowing Reiji's character would apply equally to his methods of punishment, it would surely be severe, even against his own daughter.

Frustration overcoming him at this, he hid his face against his knees, groaning in contempt of his own incompetence - once again - to do more than his age allowed.

"What should I do?" he whispered, "What should I do?"

But before he could usher an answer to his hushed question, a soft waft - laying undetected for a while - somehow reached his nose; and a perverse scent parched his throat with an unquenchable need that had him immediately stand, fangs at ready, and follow its source.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" Subaru questioned, choleric over the fight that had prolonged for well over 30 minutes, with his half-brother.

"Nothing! But that doesn't mean you aren't to blame for it!" Kanato pointed, his eyes scowling angrily as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Are you fucking serious?!"

"Of course, I am! You-! Wait a minute..." The mauve-haired vampire stopped as he looked behind him at the empty seat, where he was sure he had left his son, along with his niece, before this stupid fight broke out. "Where's Luka?"

" _Ha?"_ Subaru furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Luka! He's gone!" Kanato threw every cushion in the seat, as if hoping his son would pop out from behind them. "Where is he? Luka! Luka!"

"Idiot, how the hell should I know-? _Oi,_ " The white-haired vampire stopped in his tracks as well, scanning around the area for the other missing child, "You lost _her_ too?!"

"Huh?" Kanato stopped, staring at his brother as though bewildered by the mention of a second child, while he was so busy looking for his own, "Who?"

"Luna!"

"How the hell should _I_ know?!"

"You bast-!"

"Never mind that," Kanato looked around, wondering where the two might've run off to, "Stop whining and start helping!"

' _Tch!'_ Was Subaru's sole response as he worriedly searched for his daughter alongside his brother.

* * *

 _ **Terms Definitions**_

 _ ***Lullaby -**_ "Nana de Mercedes" from _Pan's Labyrinth_


	13. Teddy's Acrimony: Part III

_**I do apologize with how close to passing the due date this updated chapter was. I was caught in the throes of work that I couldn't put my focus on this chapter properly.**_

 _ **By the by, I had someone ask me what was going on with the cryptic message I put before this. Well, it was because I had many reviewers personally ask me about what was 'really' going on behind TMTETS; and - since I can't answer that question yet - I figured throwing in a little hint might help with their endeavors to find the 'truth' of the story.**_

 _ **Happy New Years my beloved readers and reviewers.**_

 _ **I hope this coming year is filled with so many blessings for you all and those you hold dear.**_

 _ **Onward we shall proceed!**_

 **THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN**

Chapter XI

 _ **Teddy's Acrimony: Part III**_

Raising her head from within her crossed arms, laid resting atop the cherry wood dining table, Regina set her weary, puffy-eyed gaze, onto the torrent of rainfall cascading against the large sash windows before her.

After crying herself a river, the high-strung emotions - which had wreaked havoc across her already weakened willpower - had finally begun to mellow down, easing away the storm that had clouded, not only the clarity of the night sky, but also the judgement of her young mind. Thankfully, this silent respite of hers had permitted the heavy shadow ( _which clung to her chest like an oppressive weight for these three long years_ ) to finally dissipate. Filling her with a temporary ease, and a somewhat renewed sense of resolution, that - though incapable of fully healing the sorrow engraved within - had, at least, managed to partially cure the sadness that had previously overwhelmed it. Something she hadn't quite felt of since the day her mother had passed away.

Sniffling back her runny nose, she wiped away the lingering tears from her swollen eyes, and slowly rose from her chair; walking back toward the sink in the annexed kitchenette to rinse her face. The silence of the room was stifling, now that her muffled sobs no longer rung against her ears; and, though it had already been a while, she was sure she had heard the last of the storm's angry howls fading out into the distance.

Surely, what would follow next - in a couple of hours - would be the, much anticipated, break of day.

' _I have to get the children ready for bed,'_ she thought, as she rubbed the exhaustion from her morganite eyes, trying - with all her might - to dissimulate the exposed signs of her emotional distress as much as she possibly could.

If she wanted to avoid stoking the flames of the people around her _(who were already riled enough as_ _was_ ), she needed to ensure that no one - especially her siblings - would discover what had transpired within these four walls.

Within this sanctuary she averred as her own.

 _'These emotions are my cross to bear,'_ she clenched her fist atop her chest, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. ' _There's no need to burden them with my concerns.'_

Stepping away from the sink's counter, Regina softly dried the lingering droplets clinging to her skin with Kaname's robe, removing - in the process - the soaked bandage that her brother had placed just hours ago, to cover the residual bruise of Ayato's choking hold; and, though the skin was still slightly sensitive around the affected area, she doubted the black-and-blue mark would be visible behind the curtain of her long hair.

' _So long as I don't change my hairstyle, everything should be alright,'_ she considered. ' _No one will take notice of it.'_

But there was someone who would.

Akumu.

And - knowing him - as long as the bruise remained visible to the naked eye, the hatred he had toward his Father would grow further.

" _Okaa-sama,"_ she whispered sadly, as she walked toward the door leading straight to the passage of the central manor, "You, better than anyone, understood what lay in Akumu-kun's heart. Much, as I know, you knew what was in Uncle Ayato's." Tenderly skimming her fingers over the sensitive blemish, she released a short breath, "I may not know why Uncle did what he did," though she believed it might have something to do with the foreign name he uttered, "but I do know that he can't be all that bad. After all, a part of him lives within Akumu-kun. Both are so much alike to one another that it's difficult not to notice."

Stepping outside the frame of the kitchenette, as she tugged on the knob, she heard the door creak loudly beside her. "Oh, _Okaa-sama,_ " she pleaded as she clutched the cloth above her chest, "What happened was no one's fault, but I fear that - if it's not fixed soon - it'll only drift them apart further. Please, if there is anything I can do to restore my brother's bond with Uncle Ayato, please...send me some kind of sign-!"

Before she could finished the hushed prayer, her words seized upon her lips like a tightly shut vault.

A strange, muffled, sound had reached her ears out of nowhere, stilling her movements altogether.

... _ **tluck**_ _..._

 _ **...tlock**_...

Her body froze instantaneously, as it stood just between the wedge of the door where the kitchen and hallway met.

... _ **tluck**_ _..._

 _ **...tlock**_...

"That...sound," she turned back toward the sink, but the faucet was completely leak free. "Where is it coming from?"

Regina turned back toward the hall, leaning her head just outside the door, as she faced both directions of the dimly lit corridor; attempting to find the source of the suspicious din, to no avail.

Yet, unaffected - by any means - with her inquisitive meandering, the sound continued to ring aloud.

Which, stranger still, despite the clarity within its tone - and how loud it seemed to ring against her ears - it felt rather... _distant_ , and obscure.

And, to her, it appeared to be inexplicably - _familiar._

... ** _tluck_** _..._

 _ **...tlock**... _

The discorded melody that would follow, shortly after the sound itself, was almost similar to a drop of water that struck the waist of small bell, echoing across a vast, and wild, open field; shadowed by a sightless fog.

And, to this thought, Regina couldn't contain the goosebumps that ransacked the hairs on her skin.

Unease began to quickly fill her mind, especially after taking notice of how the hallway appeared to elongate itself, becoming narrower, sharper, and swallowed up by a darkness that wasn't there before.

... ** _tluck_** _... **tlock**..._

 _ **...tluck**... **tlock...**_

The sound continued, this time, in even beat to a rhythmic drum.

Then suddenly...

 _ **...tluck...**_

 _ **...tlock...**_

 _It_ _changed_.

 _ **...clink...**_

Hypnotically guided by the mysterious sound, Regina followed the chime that reverberated throughout every cell in her body.

"That ring," she whispered, walking in the opposite direction from whence she came as though manipulated by some unseen force, "Why do I feel like its...calling...me?"

Deep beneath her blanched state, she could hear the cacophony ( _amidst that seductive symphony_ ) wailing at her like apocalyptic trumpets of war. Begging that she run away from whatever was causing this _somnambulistic_ walk, but she couldn't obey her own will - even if she desperately wanted to.

And as her legs carried her step, by meticulous step, further into the labyrinth of the vampirical manor, deeper became the corridors she reached...

Farther became the distance she walked...

And blacker became the darkness to which she succumbed.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

Resting half of his body atop the cherry-red bed, as his feet dangled precariously off the corners of the wooden ledge, the nettled 10-year old swung his arms beside him; burdened by the heavy thoughts - and blackened emotions - that remained within him since the past hour.

Sighing, he stared deeply at the ceiling overhead - unguarded - for the first time since the start of the night, as the whistling gale sorely reached his ears; its high-pitched ' _wheeeuw'_ escaping through the chipped wood of the windowsills, while his thoughts lay waste with the distancing storm.

Ever since he had returned to his room, he had tried to settle his emotions, to no outstanding success; and, though he was no longer angry with his brother and sister for reacting the way they did, it didn't mean that he wasn't at least a _little_ offended by the mistrust they so fervently showed.

But, thinking back on it, they were absolutely right. He _had_ royally screwed things up for his _Nee-chan._ Regardless if the intent behind his actions was for the sake of a beneficent cause.

' _I just...I just wanted to protect her,'_ he thought with a frown, casting his gaze downward, ' _but..._ _I know that I didn't do it **all** for her.'_

Draping his arms over his eyes, Akumu tried - in vain - to hide his sight from the grizzly mirages that his mind's eye concocted. Of the memories. Of the pain. Of the guilt. However, the further he pressed his limbs against his eyes, shutting himself away from what his rife emotions created, the darker his thoughts became, and the more realistic they felt; and, obviously frustrated by what it all implied, he reluctantly moved his arms away.

Acting against his better judgement, allowing himself to be led around the nose by the same rampant emotions that defined him, were all part of what made him reach that jaundiced conclusion. In reality - there had been nothing he had done, in his entire life, that was as risky - and selfish - as this.

Because not only had he _(though part of the fault could be blamed onto Hime-nee as well_ ) compromised his siblings' hard kept secret. He had also caused an unintended rift between the person he cherished most, and the one _she_ loved most.

And it was all in order to claim his stance - his prowess - as being above that of his siblings, his Uncles, and even that bastard Father of his.

But, to what extent?

" _Argh!"_ he scratched the back of his head, sitting up, and resting the side of his elbow against his propped up knee, before glaring down at the carpet. "I'm such an idiot. I practically fed them all to the lions. Just like that guy, when he was thrown into the den."

Unlike Daniel, however, the only thing he could do was watch from the sidelines, as the others fought their way through the struggles of his own creation.

And though unvoiced, he had betrayed them, and their trust in him; in much the same manner as _he_ had suffered when he was betrayed by... He stopped his thoughts immediately where they stood.

He didn't want to remember anything from back then.

Waving his hand around him - as though swatting some pesky, invisible, flies - Akumu finally rested his palm beneath his line of sight; gazing onto the calloused skin in silent scrutiny. Brushing a single finger over the creases of his palm, he tried to recall a time when the power he invoked did not evoke a sentiment of fear every time he used it.

That being said, with every memory that came to mind - deeply rooted frustrations and heavily piled negativity - were always sure to follow.

"Fire isn't a blessing," he scoffed, sitting momentarily against the edge of his bed, before standing up and walking toward the window, "Never has been. Never will be. Those boring old history lessons that the Old Geezer would give us, was proof enough for me." He stared back at his hand, "It's either hated by the people that died, or lost something precious to them because of it; or those that wanted to destroy others with it. There's no in-between."

And because he knew that, he understood that there wasn't a single good thing about his so-called ' _gift'_ that could - **_should_ ** \- make him feel remotely proud of possessing it.

' _But,'_ he clasped his hand within the other as it began to tremble in his hold, ' _Why is it that I still feel...awed because of it? I mean, just look at what I pulled off in front of everyone! Even in front of_ that damned _Oyaji! I was-_ ' he gasped.

Realizing the course of his thoughts, he berated himself almost immediately.

 _'What the hell are you thinking, Akumu?!'_ Grabbing the nearest pillow from atop the bed, he shucked it against the wall at the opposite end of where he stood; thwarted by the silent implications of what this unvoiced ' _pride'_ meant.

Just when he thought that the satisfaction of the infernal heat would get to his head and roast his brain ( _for thinking such things in the first place_ ) he remembered the reason as to why he was _supposed_ to be proud of his little ' _show-and-tell'_ demonstration.

Heaving a disgruntled sigh, he admitted to himself what he had tried so hard to reject before.

Yes, he had been satisfied.

 _Completely and utterly_ satisfied.

He had just proven his siblings that he _did_ have the ability to control that wayward element, despite knowing how small the semblance he showed had been; and, to him, it had been enough to boost the swelling of his already inflated ego, skyrocketing him to infinity and beyond!

But, when that heightened pride returned to earth, and he saw just _who_ had taken the brunt of the force, remorse had taken over him like a tide mother on the volcanic banks of a lava-pitted island.

Absentminded, the ten year old dhampyr looked up at the golden framed mirror decorating the fireplace in his room, glaring as the incandescent green of his eyes stood out from the rest of his reflection, before - with a single snap of his fingers - he lighted the dried wood beneath the chimney. Bathing the entirety of the once dreary room within a scarlet glow.

' _Nee-chan is far too kind to stand for this kind of bullshit.'_ He watched the embers crackle within the orange hue of the lit wood. ' _She already has enough on her plate with having such a shitty parent like that damned four-eyes, and -...'_

He looked away, his bangs flopping over his eyes to hide the wrathful glare he cast onto the world.

"With having a problematic brother like me," he sneered, more to himself than anyone else, "Maybe that's why she left after Uncle _Four-Eyes_ did...pro'bly couldn't stand to be near me after I talked back to him."

Deep within his heart, however, he knew that to be entirely bogus.

His _Nee-chan_ wasn't that kind of person at all.

He knew her well enough to understand that she'd never reject him because of anger. No matter how many times he'd get into trouble, or the kind of mischief he'd involve her in, she would never be upset, or even bitter, toward him.

Still, even though he knew that, it was difficult to forget how much it stung him when her hand moved away from his touch.

After all, had he been strong enough - better enough - she would never have hesitated to rely on him as a shoulder to cry on. That's why he had tried so hard - so desperately hard - to become a proper pillar of support for his _Nee-chan_.

But, it seemed that he still wasn't quite at that level, yet.

Unwittingly bending toward the fireplace, his hand rested over the flames, moving the singed wood around, as he watched the blaze enveloped his skin like a scarlet mantle.

Slowly retracting his limb, he was not surprised to find that the only tell-tale sign of him touching the crackling flame directly, had been the residual warmth lingering in his touch. Other than that, not a single scar.

' _Three years,'_ he thought, somewhat appalled at the time frame, ' _It took me three years to do something like the candles, something like these logs; and at a painful cost too! So...how long'll it take me to go beyond this novice stage? Another three? Ten? Fifteen?! How much more do I have to endure in order to become stronger?! Will it ever be enough?!'_

But more important than all that:

What if, by then, his Nee-chan was already old and gray?

Or worse?

"No!" he jumped backwards, almost colliding with the foot of the bed, as he grasped the sides of his head while clenched his teeth tightly, "No! I have to be stronger now! I have to! If I don't then I'll never be able to-!"

He felt something wet trickle down the side of his lip, before noticing a drop strike the back of his hand - coming to the startling realization that his mouth was bleeding.

"Wha-?" he rubbed his lip with the back of his hand, only to find a long stream of blood imprinted on his skin.

Apparently, in the midst of the fit of his flaring temper, he had inadvertently bitten his lower lip with his slightly receding fangs.

" _Tch_...just what I needed." Tugging his wounded lip inward, Akumu sucked back the blood that escaped him, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to calm down the _need_ for it.

At least, not with his own.

It was hard to explain, but it just tasted real nasty to him. It was dry and metallic. Hardly even drinkable. But, he got that there was a certain concern with leaving his blood out in the open when, at every turn of the manor, there were ravenous purebloods waiting their meal.

They'd probably not want to eat _him_ , but one could never tell with those assholes.

' _If they dare so much as try, I'll incinerate them all!'_ he thought, sticking his tongue out at his hand, as he licked the remaining liquid on his hand.

However, in the midst of swallowing the metallic taste down his parched throat, he was reminded of the blood whence the sweetest of tastes fulfilled his every famished thirst.

Regina's blood.

A single drop of it had made him esurient for more, and though he had felt absolutely awful for what he had done to the person he loved most, it was fairly difficult to forget that rosy fragrance. Even if he wanted to, the reminder of it would always be somewhere there, drying his throat up until it took what it needed.

Whether that was because of vehement remorse, or ardent craving, he couldn't tell anymore.

And, adding insult to injury, his _Nee-chan_ remembered absolutely nothing of it! She had passed out shortly after he bit her that she didn't even _realize_ what it was he had done to her! Worst of it was that he hadn't even bothered to clear things up with her afterward, for fear of facing her rejection.

She knew he had bitten her, but the accusation never came.

And he couldn't help but be grateful to the Geezer, for had he not been there in time to stop him, he would have surely killed her by accident.

A thought that always sent shivers down his spine.

' _No. I'm gonna protect Nee-chan. Always.'_ he gripped his first, decided on doing what was right. Which was a real ironical nutcase because, had he really wanted to protect her, he wouldn't have outwardly put her into more danger than before.

Why couldn't he have just told the truth?

' _Because he would have never accepted her, and you know that...'_ he pushed back his hair in the same manner as his brother did when stressed, ' _What'll Nee-chan think of me now?'_

That he was a no-good liar, that's what.

It's what everyone else thought of him anyway.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Akumu stared back at the flames of the fireplace, before opting on abandoning this pointless negativity of his, in order to face the repercussions of his actions - head on.

Without thinking too much on a plan of action, as was natural of him, he grabbed the nearby vase and dumped the water over the fire, watching as the embers sizzled and the smoke rose upward onto the chimney, before the room was plunged back into a cold abyss.

"First thing's first," he said undoubtedly, "I need to find _Nee-chan_ and apologize."

Everything else would go as it came.

Self-assured, he emphatically stepped outside his room to search for his sister downstairs, but not before stopping dead in his tracks; taking notice of the last thing he'd think of finding in the hall this early in the morning.

 _ **~S.O.V~**_

"Did you find them?" Kanato appeared beside his younger brother, alarm clearly visible within the restless mauve eyes of his, as he - with a single rushed breath - inquired after the children. Subaru didn't appear to be as restless - or hysteric - as the youngest of the triplets, but he was affected by the missing girl in his own way, if the crackle in his jaw was anything to go by.

"Does it look like I did?" he bit back, looking around the ballroom of the estate for any signs of the platinum-haired child. He could've sworn he had seen a small shadow pass by earlier, when they had been looking around the central wing for them.

But the place was just as silently dead as the rest of this God forsaken manor!

"Luka! Luka! Luka, where are you?!" Kanato continued to call out, hoping his son would appear from somewhere amid the somber building.

"Damn it!," Subaru stopped beside a decorative onyx column that connected the second floor of the ballroom with the first, "None of this would've happened if you hadn't left them alone!"

" _Ha?_ You're saying its now my fault?," Kanato stopped his search to pucker his lips in a tearful, angry pout, as he glared at his brother in both fret, and annoyance, "You were the one that was getting pissy over something so stupid!"

" _Ha?,"_ Subaru furrowed his brows, practically stomping his way over to Kanato, "Listen here, pipsqueak. You were the one that was stepping out of line with Luna!"

"So what?"

"She's _my_ daughter!"

Getting far too choleric at this point, the white-haired prince did not take notice of his words, or what they so obviously implied.

And, in the midst of another rising argument, neither did Kanato.

"Stepping out of-? Are you serious?!," Now Kanato was getting frantic, for more than just his missing child, "I patted her head because she wanted me to! That's it! You make it sound like it was inappropriate or something!"

"Of course its inappropriate, you damned pedophile! She's _my_ kid! I don't want your disgusting, sticky-fingered, dirty-ass hands on her!"

"Wha-? How dare you?!," he clenched his teeth, "You know what, just for that, I'm gonna pet her head EVERY SINGLE DAY, bastard!"

" _Ha?,"_ a tick was appearing on both of their foreheads as they faced each other head on, not realizing how childish this fight appeared to outsiders, "Then I guess I'll be taking that kid of yours in exchange, and treating him as my pet!"

"You keep Luka out of this, you hear? He's _my_ son!"

"Then keep your shit-filled hands off of _my_ daughter!"

"Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?!"

"No, who the hell do you think _you_ are to order _me_ around?!"

"Bastard!"

"Bipolar!"

"Violent!"

"Crazy!"

"I don't understand how that little girl is even related to you, she's nothing like you!" Kanato huffed, nearly out of breath from how angry he was at his brother.

Subaru's exasperation didn't end where it started, but he was thwarted by the same thoughts that had encompassed his own earlier; which, in response, only seemed to fuel his frustration.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't get how such a calm kid like him is even fathered by a crazy, bipolar, man-child like you!"

"Why you...!" Kanato eyes widened drastically as his lips receded into a thin line, "Leave my son alone!"

"Not until you leave my daughter alone!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

"FIN-!"

 _"WOULD YOU GUYS JUST FUCKING SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY?!"_ Ayato walked into the room, practically slamming the doors from side to side as he looked at his two brothers, deeply annoyed. "Shit! You're making Yours Truly get a headache with all your crazy squabble! Look at you two! You're acting like preschoolers for fuck's sake!"

And crossing his arms, the red-head scrutinized his two younger brothers and the way they seemed to want to pulverize the other.

"Just what the hell is going on in here anyways? I thought we put aside everything in the living room to at least get a good night's rest!"

"Ask the fucking pipsqueak. I'm busy!" Subaru turned away, continuing his search in silence.

"Have you seen Luka?" Kanato asked his triplet, instantly forgetting the banter he had with the youngest prince ( _as well as the fact that he hadn't quite forgiven Ayato for telling Reiji to lock up Luka alongside Teddy_ ), in order to ask the only other person that may have caught wind of the child's whereabouts.

"How the hell should I know anything about that freak?" Was Ayato's immediate response, which did not bode well with Kanato.

"Luka's not a freak," The Father of the youngest dhampyr crossed his arms furiously, "If anything I'd say it was _your_ kid, Ayato. You saw the kind of power he has. I'd be more concerned of him burning us all to a crisp in our sleep if you start pissing him off again."

Ayato ' _tch-'_ ed in response, but said nothing about Akumu.

"I'm just wasting my damn time with you two, I'm going back to bed."

"Whatever," Subaru murmured, as he walked over to the other side of the ballroom, kneeling on the ground to look through the vents on the walls, "Damn. I'm going somewhere else, you guys do whatever the hell you want."

"What's with you?" Ayato furrowed his brows, surprised to see Subaru acting so... _unSubaru-ish._

"Both of our kids are missing, what'd you expect?" Was Kanato's sole response as he jumped over toward the second floor of the ballroom.

"So? Why should he care?"

Both lavender and white-haired vampires stopped and faced their older brother.

"What the hell are you talking about, Ayato?" Subaru glared.

"What's it to you?," A cruel smirk filled the corners of the red-haired prince. "Just because some damn paper says so you're gonna believe the bullshit they feed you? Just because _that man_ says its true, we're now supposed to accept the fact that _Chichinashi_ left us to give birth to those kids? I never touched _Chichinashi_. Her kid ain't mine."

"You think you didn't," Kanato answered ruthlessly, "You don't even know for a fact that that's true."

"It is, 'cause I say so."

"Fine, but that doesn't mean we're all on the same boat, Ayato."

Those words, and the weight they carried - like an executioner wielding their blade before the accused - had struck something _feral_ within Ayato; and he turned in a whiplash toward his triplet. Betrayal smoldered deep within those dark green irises of his.

"What'd you say to Yours Truly _?_ "

"Exactly as you heard." Subaru seconded, not caring whether those two ripped their heads off in the brawl, "Just because you admit that you never took her, doesn't mean the rest of us didn't. You know what happened that night. You know what was going on around us. There's a chance we changed because of the moon," His gaze was downcast, as if the very idea sickened him, "It's not rare for our kind to go through a frenzy because of it."

"That's only when we pass through our coming of age," Ayato held back a growl, denying the images his brothers' words invoked.

Of his _Chichinashi_ pleading beneath his body; sagging, groaning, moaning for his attention, begging that he take every part of who she was for himself, before eternally succumbing to his ruthless possession.

"Doesn't mean its unheard of." Kanato admonished, bringing him out of his reverie.

"So," the red-head spoke through his tightly clenched teeth, "Let me get this straight. What you're trying to tell me is that _you two_ touched _my_ food without _my_ permission?"

"She wasn't only yours, you know." But Kanato's refute was silenced by Ayato's explosive yell.

" _Bullshit_! She was mine, completely and utterly mine and you both know it!" He pointed accusingly at them. "I told you! Ore-sama strictly warned you all not to mess with what was mine! If she left us its because of _you_ bastards!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Subaru, riled by the grievous accusations being spouting by the waspish red-head, readied his fist. "If she left it was because of you!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Last I checked, you were the one that told her you didn't want her. You didn't need her. That she was nothing but cattle awaiting the slaughterhouse for you. Tell me then, what changed your mind when you practically begged her to choose you? Was she really so important that you were willing enough to throw your pride away?"

Subaru swung his fist, but missed Ayato by a fraction of a millisecond.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" Subaru yelled.

"You're in no position to say anything about it, Ayato," Kanato input, startling the two arguing males.

"How so?"

"You have that rosary, don't you?"

" _Psh_ , 'course not!"

"As if, I saw it in your room the other day," Ayato glared at his brother for exhibiting him that way in front of the other, "You always change the rose in the vase. Almost as if you-"

"If you know what's good for you, I suggest you shut your mouth this instant-!"

"Shhh!" Kanato covered his brother's mouth instantly, placing a finger against his own lips in a sign for immediate silence.

"..."

"What?"

"If this is some kind of prank of yours to stop-"

"SHHHhhh!" Kanato interceded again, looking around the room. "Did you guys hear that?"

The other two looked around as well, but other than the foggy windows, there wasn't much of anything standing out in the empty ballroom. Then, they heard it. A small ' _click'_ coming from the farthest door, before it was repeated all around them.

Ayato, Subaru, and Kanato immediately ran to the exiting doors.

"Did you lock the doors when you came in?" Subaru asked Ayato.

"As if!"

"What the hell, then?"

"Who locked the damn doors?!"

Kanato pressed his ear against the door, but he couldn't hear anything; and though he had a vague suspicion of someone - or rather, some _thing_ \- he didn't want to jump to conclusions this early in the morning. "I have to find Luka."

"I gotta find Luna," Subaru added as he struggled with the knob.

"Yeah, no shit. What **we** need to do is find a way to get out!" Ayato concluded, as they all struggled, individually, to open the doors; but it all proved a futile attempt, even with their immense strength.

 _"hehehe..."_ a laughter broke through the air from just outside their door, " _I wouldn't struggle if I were you...You won't be getting out any time soon...hehehe."_

"Who the _hell_ was that?!" Subaru questioned his brothers as he heard the laughter die out in the distance.

"I don't know! But doesn't it sound like that-?"

"It's Teddy" Kanato paled as he answered his triplet, wide-eyed by the revelation, as he struggled desperately with the knob. "We have to hurry! He's going to go after Luka!"

"Luna's with him. If that bear finds him, he'll probably charge against Luna as well!" Subaru shoved his weight against the door frame, trying to break out of the room to follow that damned bear.

Ayato was perplexed by the protectiveness his two younger brothers showed for the endangered kids.

They were acting almost as though their own lives were at stake.

Almost as though they were... _Fathers._

But the feeling, in all its foreign sentimentality, was not something he understood. Especially since he had never experienced it from anyone - not from a man who hardly acknowledged his existence - and certainly not from a whore that punished her son out of boredom.

And surrounded by those dismal thoughts, Ayato called for the other two to help him lift the nearby chair.

"What the hell do we need a chair for?"

"What do you think?" Ayato questioned his stupid brother, "We're gonna break the damn window."

* * *

 _ **Terms Definitions**_


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